


Lady Labyrinth

by Lightfinger



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-03-11 14:13:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3329249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightfinger/pseuds/Lightfinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few years after Mai goes away to a university in Chicago, Illinois, the group loses contact with her. A few weeks later, Takigawa begins having nightmares...nightmares about Mai. It appears that Mai is in trouble, and only Houshou has the power to help her. But what is causing this? With one of their own in grave danger, can the members of SPR find a way to solve this case?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I pretty obviously do not own Ghost Hunt, nor do I own the Ghost Hunt characters contained within this fic. The title of this fic is taken from a beautiful song composed by Ludovico Einaudi. It's available on Spotify, if you're interested. The entire album that the song is from (Nightbook) is fantastic.

**Author's Note:** It's been a long time since I published any fanfiction, y'all. It feels good to be back. Please rate, review, favorite, and whatever else you want to do. I've rated this fic M, mostly so I can swear as much as I like and I don't have to worry about it getting to scandalous for the kiddies. If you feel this fic should have a different rating, please let me know.

**SPOILER ALERT: This fic contains information that was discussed in the final issue of the Ghost Hunt manga. If you have not read the manga, be aware that some plot points from "The Forgotten Children will be spoiled here.**  (Basically, I talk about who Gene is. If you don't know who Gene is, you might be confused) **If this does not bother you, feel free to read ahead. If you have not read the manga, I strongly encourage you to do so!**

And now, let us begin.

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Her hair is longer than I remember it being. It's just past her shoulders now, the ends brushing against her pale collar bones. Her brown eyes seem softer now, more…knowledgeable somehow. She seems so sure of herself, though still just as feisty as ever.

She's smiling at me, and we're…we're laughing about something…

And then she starts screaming.

I always woke up around then, jolted out of sleep by a sound I'd never heard before in real life. Oh sure, I'd heard Mai scream before, quick yelps of alarm that (almost) always happened for good reason. But this was very, very different.

* * *

It had been about a year since I'd last seen Mai in person, and at least 6 months since I'd heard from her last. She'd decided to go to a school in the U.S., some school with an excellent psychology program that offered her a massive scholarship due to her grades (grades which I'm half convinced she got just to prove Naru wrong). We all encouraged her to go, especially since her English was getting so much better (as was my own, all thanks to John). I was sad to see her go, but she promised to write as often as possible, and to come back to visit when she could. Ayako, John and myself all told her we'd pay for her flights, of course.

By then we knew that Naru wasn't coming back. After finding his brother's body, it was hard for him to spend much time in Japan. I guess even crabby old robots can have a pretty emotional reaction to something like that. He'd tried to come back to do more research on psychic phenomenon with us, but you can tell when a dude's heart isn't into something. I think it was hard for him to be around us, too, since now we knew his whole back story. Naru and Lin went back to England, and Yasuhara took over SPR. Yasu still asked for our help every once in a while, but most of the cases these days seem to call for more research and less religion. Half the cases seem to be explained away by common, worldly phenomenon (like teenagers), and I'm happy to leave those cases to Yasu.  
  
We all saw each other as often as we could, arranging lunches and dinners and whatever, all just to hang on to each other like life preservers in this massive, drifting world. Masako would come when she had free time, and Mai would come if she was on a holiday break at school.

We were happy.

But then Mai stopped writing. Not long after that, the dreams started.

* * *

"Takigawa, you've gone soft in your old age. Mai is fine. She probably just…outgrew us." Ayako sounded just as haughty and self-confident over the phone as she did in person. She was out visiting her parents in the country, so unfortunately we couldn't talk in person.

"But, Ayako, you should have heard her in this dream, it was horrifying." I paced the room as I spoke, clutching my cell phone in the clammy palm of my left hand. "This is the second time I've had this dream in the past week. That has to mean something."

Ayako sighed. "I'm telling you, you're overreacting. You're acting like a crazy person. Have you tried texting her, or calling her?"

"Uh…" I scratched my neck. "Well, no. I haven't yet, but it's really early over there, and she's probably not up yet, and-"

Ayako cut me off. "If you want, text her. Although your dream probably doesn't mean anything. You're probably just worried about little Mai. She's busy living her own life, she's not your responsibility anymore. You don't need to run in and save her from any monsters or evil ghosts."

_She's not little anymore…_ I thought to myself, before quickly shaking my head and erasing that thought. "Um, I guess you're right, but I still-"

"Of course I'm right. Listen, I've got to go, it's time for brunch. My advice? Go out with some friends tonight, have a drink or two. It'll do you good to get your mind off of this recurring nightmare business."

"Okay, thanks, but-"

"Talk to you later, Monk!" *click*

I stared at the blank screen of my phone. "Thanks," I sighed. "Lot of help you gave."

I ran a shaking hand through my hair, trying to ignore the thick knot that still lay heavy in my gut. I walked to my bathroom and turned on the faucet, hoping that a splash of icy water would help me snap out of this funk. I cupped my hands under the stream of water, but as I closed my eyes, the sound of Mai's scream filled my ears again, a piercing cacophony that rattled my eardrums. The cold water slipped between my fingers, and I rested my elbows on the edge of the sink, breathing hard.

_Keep it together, Takigawa._

I looked at my reflection. My eyes looked bloodshot, and there were dark circles under them that threatened to extend past my cheekbones.

_This is ridiculous. You're overreacting. She's fine._

I rubbed my eyes, trying to forget the sound of the scream.

_Ayako's right. I just need a good night out with some friends._

* * *

I went out to a bar with a few musician buddies later, some friends I hadn't seen in a while. By then, the dream seemed so distant that I nearly forgot about it. It felt good to be out of my apartment.  _I was just getting cooped up. Maybe Ayako did give some good advice for once…  
_  
I texted Mai (sadly, it wasn't the first time she was a victim of my drunken texts), though thankfully I was still sober enough to form coherent words.

**HT: Hey, haven't heard from you in a while. Hope you're okay!**

I hit send and headed to the bar for another round of drinks, feeling immensely better about the whole thing. That night, I stumbled drunkenly into my apartment, threw myself onto my bed, fully clothed, and passed out.

* * *

_"Monk, it's so good to see you!"_

_Mai's voice sounds deeper than I remember, but then she_ _is_ _20, so I shouldn't be surprised. We're outside somewhere…a school?_

_"It's where we first met! Or don't you remember?" She giggles. God, I love that sound. A soft wind blows through her hair, and I expect to smell something sweet, gardenias or strawberries or…is that…bleach? Why does her hair smell like-_

_A violent gust of wind blows her hair back, and suddenly her face twists in horror, her eyes focused just over my right shoulder._

_"Monk, it's not safe, please, you need to leave before—"_

_She's cut off by her own hoarse scream, a guttural wail that seems to be sucked out of her throat by the wind._

The dream ended like a car crash, and I woke up into sudden silence.

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you think! I'm hoping to get chapter 2 up in a couple of days, since I've already got a lot of this fic up on fanfiction.net. This chapter is relatively short, but most of them will be longer than this one. Thanks for taking the time to read this :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like an old lady trying to hang out with all the hip, young kids. Do fic writers still do authors notes? Do they still include disclaimers at the beginning of chapters? I just want to be cool, u guise. I haven't written fic in almost 10 years. Help.
> 
> Well, either way, here's a disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt! I also stole the title "Lady Labyrinth" from a song composed by Ludovico Einaudi! And I probably don't need this disclaimer, but I'm scared of copyright laws! HURRAY!
> 
> Anyway, please let me know what you think of this chapter! I'd love to hear from you guys.
> 
> And now, without further ado...

 

**Chapter Two**

* * *

The clock read 4:07 AM, and I was drenched in sweat. I'd only been asleep for maybe 2 hours, but I felt more awake and more sober than I ever had in my life. I checked my phone, praying to every god I'd ever heard of that there would be a text waiting for me there, but there was nothing. No texts, no emails, no calls. I tried my best to ignore the horrible, heavy feeling in my chest, but it felt so big I could barely breathe.

I finally managed to haul my ass out of bed, and I quickly headed for the shower, hoping that the hot water would help clear my head, and also wash away that awful cold sweat. The shower didn't do much to help my mental state, but at least it made me feel slightly human again. By then it was nearly 5 AM. I sat on my couch, scrolling through my phone contacts and looking for someone to call. Clearly Ayako's advice hadn't been so helpful after all, but surely there was someone who would know what to do.

 _I'll call John,_  I thought.  _Priests are usually up early, right?_

Just to be safe, I decided to try to meditate for a while, hoping it would calm me down so I wouldn't sound too insane on the phone. I also didn't particularly want to accidentally wake John up just to explain to him that I was losing my mind. I settled down onto a mat in front of my east-facing balcony door. The rising sun always seems to have a calming effect on me, especially during my morning meditations, and I hoped that it would help take the edge off my thoughts.

It didn't.

Every time I closed my eyes, I just heard Mai scream, saw the grotesque look of terror plastered on her pretty face. I only managed to try for 20 minutes before finally giving up completely.  _The only meditation I need is a good, strong drink._  
  
At 5:30, I called John. It was already the middle of the afternoon where Mai was, on a Wednesday no less, and still no text. I tried not to think about that too much.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hey John. Sorry if I woke you…"

"No, I'm always up this early. I just got back from the gym, actually."

"You…work out?"

"…yeah?"

"But you're so…small…"

John laughed. It felt good to have a normal conversation, to joke around just like old times, to hear someone laugh. _Mai was laughing too…_  My hand balled into a fist so tight that even my short, stubby fingernails were biting into my palm.  _Stop forcing yourself to relive it, Takigawa. Dwelling won't do anyone any good._  
  
"So, John, have you heard from Mai lately?" I began pacing my living room, the wood floor creaking beneath my feet.

"Nope, not in…let's see…" I heard papers rustling. "Nope, her last letter was written nearly 6 months ago. Why, have you?"

I sighed, the tiny bubble of hope in my head deflating. "Not exactly," I said, before launching into my newly recurring dream, including the new, extended version.

On the other end, John was quiet when I finished. "I don't know what to tell you, mate. You probably just miss her. We all do. I'm sure she's fine, she's a tough little lady. She purified that whole school by herself, remember? She wouldn't go down without a fight."

 _Yeah…but what if this_ _is_ _her fight?_

"So what should I do, John?"

"Well, if the dreams continue, you might want to see someone about them. Maybe talking about it with a professional would help."

"What, like a shrink?"

"W-well maybe? Isn't that what people normally do in these situations?"

I laughed, though it sounded wrong in my ears. "I guess maybe you're right. Never thought I'd be the first one of our group to lose my mind, but I guess life likes to surprise you that way. Thanks, John."

"No problem. I'll let you know if I hear from her, alright?"

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later."

"Yep. Bye!"

We both hung up. I dropped my phone next to me on the couch and rubbed my temples with both hands.  _I don't_ _feel_ _crazy…but maybe that's just what a crazy person would say…_  I shook my head vigorously, my hair falling in front of my eyes.  _No. I'm not losing it. There's something wrong here. Something…off. I can feel it in my gut._

Another voice in my head spoke:  _Mai always trusted her gut feelings..._ __  
  
_ENOUGH_. I pressed hard against the sides of my head, trying to force all my worries and fears out of my head, trying to force my brain to think logically, to find a reasonable explanation for everything. I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts again.  _Yasuhara? Maybe she hasn't contacted me because I'm too old…_  The thought felt like acid. I clicked "call" with my thumb.

"Monk?" Yasu sounded muffled, and I felt guilty for a half-second for waking him up. "What are you doing up?"

"Bad dream. Listen, have you heard from Mai?"

"Um, no, not for nearly half a year, I don't think. I think she's been busy with school. I've heard this year is particularly brutal for U.S. students. Why, do you need something?"

"No, just worried about her. Can you let me know if you hear from her?"

"Of course, but—"

"Thanks, Yasu. I've got to go."

"Oh, okay, good luck in whatever you're trying to figure out? I'm sure Mai is fine, though."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."

"No problem."

As I hung up, part of me felt sort of relieved that Yasu hadn't heard from her either.  _That's ridiculous. I'm being ridiculous. Mai's my friend._ _Just_ _my friend. Besides, she's too young…_ I massaged my temples again, squeezing my eyes shut so tightly that when I opened them again my eyesight was blurred.  _Great, now I'm REALLY losing it._  
  
I found Masako's number next, and hit "call" before my thoughts could get any more out of hand.

"Takigawa? It's 6 in the morning…"

"I'm so sorry, Masako, I just had a bad dream, and I was wondering…have you heard from Mai?"

I heard an un-ladylike snort on the other end of the phone. "No. I'm hardly the person she wants to stay in touch with. Why do you ask?"

"Would you, ah, know if something bad had happened to her?"

Masako paused. "If she were close by, perhaps, but at this distance…why, what's happened?"

Yet again, my tiny bubble of hope burst. Shattered, really. I had hoped that maybe Masako would be able to sense something, but of course the distance was too great. _Why did I encourage her to go to school so far away?_  
  
"Um, well, I don't really have any, um, concrete information, just a, a feeling. I've been having bad dreams the past few nights, and no one's heard from her in months…"

Masako's voice grew soft, the way it did when she dropped her High And Mighty Celebrity act. "I'm sure she's okay, Takigawa, but you may want to contact Na—I mean, Oliver. He may be better suited to assisting you. I'm sorry I can't be of more service."

"Thanks, Masako. You're the only one that's really given me any solid advice today. I guess I'll try and contact, uh, Oliver later." It felt weird not to call him Naru.

"You're welcome. Tell…Tell Oliver that I said hello, please."

"Of course. Bye, Masako."

"Goodbye, Takigawa."

It was hard to hear Masako say Naru's real name. Of course, Masako had known his true name far longer than any of us had, but she'd been careful never to use it. Her and Mai had been so in love with Naru, and then to have him just disappear back to England like that, with barely a goodbye…Masako had taken it pretty hard. Judging by the heavy tone of her voice after mentioning Naru's name, she still hadn't gotten over it.  _I wonder if Mai has gotten over Naru…_  
  
I leaned back on the couch, my legs stretched out straight in front of me, my head resting on the back cushions. As I stared at the ceiling, I couldn't help but wonder if I was being foolish.  _Maybe she is fine, maybe calling Naru is silly. Maybe this really is my brain telling me that I miss Mai…maybe even more than miss her…_

In the bright morning light, it all seemed to make sense. John, Yasu, and Masako were all probably right. Mai wasn't a teenager anymore, running head-long into some danger that we'd need to save her from. She was all grown up.  _And maybe that's part of the problem._  
I closed my eyes and let out a puff of air.  _I'll wait until tomorrow,_  I told myself.  _If I have the dream again tonight, I'll call Naru. Besides, what can he even do in this situation? We don't have any objects that Mai left behind, so it's not like he could locate her anyway._  
  
It felt good to have an actual plan. It made the whole thing seem manageable, like there was something I could actually do about the whole thing. I stood up, stretched, and went about my day, my mind so focused on the tasks at hand that I could nearly ignore the feeling of dread that kept growing in my stomach as the nighttime drew closer and closer.

* * *

I had trouble falling asleep that night. I'd built such a beautiful bubble around myself, repeating "Mai is fine" over and over and blocking out everything else, and I was hesitant to put that new-found peace of mind at risk. I kept finding odd jobs to do to avoid going to bed. I did the dishes, cleaned the bathroom, made my bed, even spent 20 minutes alphabetizing my one tiny bookshelf. Finally, at nearly 3 AM, I couldn't avoid it any longer. My eyelids were so heavy it felt like I needed a crane to keep them open, and my limbs felt like they were moving through pudding.  _Man up, Takigawa. It's only a dream. You need to sleep._

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

The dream was different this time. I was alone…somewhere. I wasn't outside the school, or any other familiar place. I couldn't tell if I was inside or outside, or even which direction was up. It was all just…blank.

"Monk!"

Her voice came from behind me, urgent and commanding. I quickly whirled around. She wasn't smiling this time, she just looked determined. If she was scared, it didn't show.

"Mai, are you—"

"I need you to take this." She cut me off and trust out her hand, which was closed in a tight, white fist.

"But what—"

"We don't have time, I need you to do this for me. Take this, please."

I swallowed, and extended my shaking hand, palm up. She dropped a small plastic bracelet into my hand, and then gently closed my fingers around it. Her skin felt like ice.

"I need your help, Houshou. I can't do this on my own."

I felt a warm shiver run up my spine when she said my name. "But, Mai, I don't—"

She quickly put a finger to my lips. "Please, Houshou. It's not safe for you here. You need to come find me. You'll find a way, I know it." She smiled then, though it wasn't the warm, open smile I was used to. There was something weary about it, something painful.

"I'll do my best, Mai."

Suddenly her face changed, contorting in pain or fear, quite possibly both. "Mai!"

Her eyes focused on me one last time. "Go. Now."

And then she was gone. Sucked away and taken into the void, taken somewhere that I couldn't follow.

When I woke up, I could feel tears running hot down my face. Again, I was drenched in sweat. In the clenched fist of my right hand, the edges of Mai's plastic bracelet cut into my skin.

I sat up quickly, my heart racing. I yanked the cord for the lamp next to my bed, and held the bracelet up to the flood of yellow light. In precise, black letters, the bracelet read:

**TANIYAMA, MAI. ROOM 1302B**  
**AGE: 20 ADM: 11/28/2013**  
**RUSH UNIV. MEDICAL CENTER**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

It took a moment to remember how to breathe.

 _That was her. That was really her…_ I had never wanted to be wrong so much in my life, but here I was, right about everything, my nightmares coming true right before my eyes. The physical weight of the hospital bracelet in my hand felt heavier than anything I'd ever touched before.

I threw some clothes in a duffle bag, along with my monk's robes (hey, you never know when you'll need a good set of monk's robes) and a few other necessities, and was out the door in 10 minutes. I called Naru from the car.

"Takigawa, what time is it over there, why are you calling?" Typical Naru, straight to business.

"Mai's hurt. I don't think she's…" I couldn't say it, couldn't bring myself to even think the word  _dead_. "Uh, fatally injured, but it looks bad. She did that dream thing, like she did with Masako. She sent me an object through her dream."

There was a pause. "You're absolutely sure this wasn't just a dream, Monk? You didn't just sleep walk, or have a night terror or something?"

"She sent me her goddamned hospital bracelet! What do you think this is? You think I'd be calling you if I didn't have proof? Mai. Is. In. Danger." I gripped the steering wheel hard in both hands, the phone pressed tight between my shoulder and my ear. I knew I was speeding, but I didn't care. I had to get to the airport. I had to get to Mai.

"…She can handle herself."

"Yeah, well, maybe she can't this time!"

"Why did she come to you? It would be easier with Masako, or even myself…"

"I DON'T KNOW. Look, I'm flying to Chicago, now, tonight, as soon as physically possible. I don't know what kind of back-up I'll need."

"Monk, we don't have enough evidence to support the idea that—"

"Don't give me that crap, Naru. You didn't hear her. You didn't see the look she gave me. If this turns out to be nothing, believe me, I'll be grateful. But I'm going to Chicago either way. Come if you can. I'll be giving the others the same message. Whatever you do, don't tell me I've got this wrong, or I'm overreacting. I know what I saw."

There was another pause. "…Lin and I will come when we can."

I sighed, my relief palpable. "Thank you."

I heard a *click* on the other end of the phone as Naru hung up. As I did my best not to speed on my way to the airport, I couldn't help but think about Mai as a teenager. The sweet, often naïve girl I'd first met had grown into a strong, confident young woman. I, like my friends, had thought that she didn't need our help anymore, which made the entire situation that much scarier. If she was asking for help, it was serious.  _She came to you for a reason, Takigawa. Don't you let her down now._

* * *

I won't bore you with the details of my flight. It was long and full of anxiety, I'll tell you that much. Fate seemed to be with me though, because there was a flight leaving just 45 minutes after I got to the airport, and there was only one layover. Thankfully, my anxiety level was so high that I never even came close to falling asleep. Who knew what I might find in my dreams? I kept Mai's bracelet in my hand the entire time, wrapping it around my fingers and rubbing my thumb against it so often that I was a little surprised that none of the print came off. As we landed, everything in Chicago looked grey, and the pilot said they'd just received several inches of snow. I looked down at my light leather jacket, suddenly realizing that I was perhaps under-prepared for a Chicago winter. At least I was close to Mai, though.  _I'd rather be cold and frozen and covered in snow than let something bad happen to Mai._ Once I'd landed, I shot a text out to all the old gang:

**Mai's in trouble. I've got proof. I'm in Chicago, come if you can. I don't know what I'm up against.**

Judging by Naru's reaction, I figured the rest would be skeptical at first too, but they'd all come, though I didn't know when to expect them. I knew that going in alone to an unknown situation was a stupid idea, but I didn't have a choice.  _And I'm not alone. Mai will be with me._  The thought made me walk even faster through the airport. With my baggage collected, my passport stamped, and my money exchanged, I made my way out the doors of O'Hare Airport and into the frozen city of Chicago. The bitter January wind sliced across my face, and I immediately regretted my clothing choices. I kept thinking of Mai, and the thought kept me warm.

 _She's too young for you, old man,_  the logical part of my brain reminded me. But she wasn't 15 anymore, and I could still feel her finger against my lips from my dream.

I'd been to the U.S. before, as part of a small tour as a back-up bassist, but I'd never been to Chicago. I had always meant to go, and we'd all made plans to come see Mai's graduation, but now…I wanted to see Chicago as Mai saw it, to go see all of the beautiful parts of the city that she always talked about, but instead I was here to visit Mai in the hospital. The rest of the city would have to wait.

I hailed a cab and, grateful to John for his lessons in English, told the driver to take me to the hotel closest to the medical center at Rush University. The man gave me a sad look through the rearview mirror, and assured me that the doctors were good there. I nodded. "I sure hope so," I said.

The cab dropped me off at an upscale Marriott just a couple blocks from the main hospital entrance. Once I checked into my room, I flopped down on the bed, my exhaustion finally catching up with me. The whole thing had moved so fast, and now that I was finally there, finally just a short walk away from the truth…I was terrified. Part of me, a large part to be honest, didn't want to go, didn't want to walk into that hospital only to find out that the worst had happened.

"Why did she come to me?" I wondered out loud, my voice hoarse. "Why am I the one she trusted to do this?"

Naru had been right to ask, though I snapped at him at the time. Mai already had a connection with Masako, and I've heard it's easier to re-forge an old connection rather than create an all new one. And Naru…well, Mai had a connection with the spirit of his twin brother, Gene, it only made sense that she'd reach out for a familiar spiritual signature.  _But she didn't. She chose you, sought_ _you_ _out. Don't you fail her now._  
  
I took a deep breath, hoping that a fresh lungful of air would reinvigorate me. It didn't, but I managed to drag my heavy limbs up and off the bed. Once I was standing, moving seemed to be a bit easier, though my heart still hung heavy in my chest.

* * *

One frigid walk later and I was at the front desk of the hospital, face pink and fingers frozen. A kind-faced woman smiled warmly at me from behind her computer as I approached.

"Hello sir, how can I help you?"

"I'm here to, uh, see Mai Taniyama? She's in room 302 B, and Dr. Johnson is her, um, doctor?" I still had a clear accent, but the woman understood me just fine. She typed quickly at her computer, asking me for spelling hints when it came to Mai's name.

"Well, sir, it looks like Miss Taniyama is in our long-term care unit, which will be to your left, on the 17th floor. You'll need clearance from the nursing staff in order to see Miss Taniyama, so be prepared to give them identification." She handed me an orange sticker with the word VISITOR stamped on it. "Please stick this to your chest for the duration of your time here."

"Thank you so much, ma'am."

"No problem sir. Let me know if there are any other questions." She smiled again, although there was something sad behind her eyes this time. I had a feeling that she knew something of Mai's condition, something bad.  _Mai must have been in here for a long time…why did it take her so long to contact me?_  I tried to stay positive as my shaking legs carried me towards the elevator at the end of the hall.  _At least I know she's alive. At least there's that._  
  
The nurses on the 17th floor seemed nice enough, until I had trouble proving that I actually knew Mai. Their reception of me turned even colder once I was unable to tell them how I'd heard that Mai was in the hospital.

"W-well, you see, I just got a call from her, and I came. So…she'll recognize me, I promise, I'm not just some weirdo off the street." I laughed, but the sound was forced, and it didn't help convince the nurse of my trustworthiness.

The nurse gave me a hard look, her blue scrubs rustling lightly as she folded her arms. "Mmhmm. Sure."

"I've known Mai since she was 15, we used to work together…"

The nurse, Sasha, according to her nametag, shifted her weight to one leg. "Sir, we have strict rules here about who is allowed to see these patients. Unless you can prove your connection to Miss Taniyama, I'm afraid I may have to ask you to leave."

I was about ready to try and find a sneakier way to Mai's room, but suddenly Sasha smiled warmly at someone over my shoulder. I turned to find a young girl, probably about Mai's age, walking out of the hallway I had just come from. "Amanda!" Sasha cooed, brushing past me to greet the girl. "Just who I wanted to see. Do you by chance know this gentleman?" She gestured to me with one hand. "He says that he knows Mai."

The girl, Amanda, gave me an appraising look. In my head, I'd already begun making contingency plans, trying to think of a way into Mai's room without getting arrested.

"Actually…" Amanda said, tilting her head to one side. "I think…are you Mr. Takigawa? The monk?"

My mouth dropped open slightly in disbelief, like some kind of idiot cartoon character. It took a moment for my brain to start working again.

"Yeah! Yeah that's, um, that's me," I said awkwardly, as I stuck my hand out.  _Do you shake girls' hands in America? You totally shake girls' hands in America…right?_  I breathed a light sigh of relief when Amanda shook my hand.

To the nurse, Amanda said: "He's fine, he's known Mai longer than I have." She then turned her attention back to me, smiling at me with kind eyes and dimpled cheeks. She brushed a strand of wavy blonde hair away from her face as she spoke again. "I'm one of Mai's roommates, we met at school. She told us so much about you. Is Naru here too?"

I nervously scratched the back of my head. "He's probably coming, but I don't know when. It's just me for now."

Amanda looked surprised.  _Of course,_  I thought.  _She probably thinks I'm just one of Naru's lackeys._  I ignored the thought. "Amanda, I don't mean to be rude, but do you think you could show me where Mai's room is? I'd…I'd really like to see her. I'd love to chat, but…"

"Oh! Of course, I'm so sorry. Just follow me, she's just down this hallway."

I followed Amanda past the nursing station, where several of the workers were still giving me wary looks. I tried to keep my breathing normal, but my chest felt so tight with worry that all I could do was take tiny, quick breaths. I wondered what it would be like to see Mai, to talk to her, to hear her laugh again.  _If she's even capable of doing any of those things…_  
  
"This is it, her bed is the one closest to the window," Amanda said, her voice suddenly quiet, as if we'd walked into a crypt. She stepped to the side to let me through first, and I could see Mai's name next to the door. I took one deep breath in, let all the air out, and stepped inside.  
The room was large, and contained 2 beds separated by a light green curtain. The woman in the first bed seemed awake, but her eyes were blank and unseeing as she stared at the ceiling.  _That's not a good sign…_

Once I got far enough into the room to see Mai's bed, my heart froze in my chest. It was certainly Mai in that bed, but it wasn't the Mai I remembered, nor was it the new Mai I'd seen in my dreams. Her skin was paler than normal, and it seemed nearly translucent. Her hair was long, but it was limp and dull, and it spread out from her head on the pillow in thin, scraggly tentacles. Wires and tubes seemed to be connected to every part of her body, and the grey machines looming over her bed made quiet beeping and whooshing sounds as they worked to keep her alive. Her eyes were closed, and on her face she wore a slight frown, as if having a bad dream.

 _Dear god, she's in a coma…_  Judging by how thin her wrists were and her sunken cheeks, this condition was not a new development.

I closed my eyes, the muscles of my face contracting as a wave of helplessness crashed into me. I did my best to recompose myself before I turned to face Amanda, but I could tell from her cautious step back that I hadn't done a very good job.

"How long has she been like this," I asked, speaking low to try and prevent my voice from breaking.

"Almost 2 months, but she was sick even before that. The doctors still have no idea what caused this." Amanda sounded bitter. She didn't look at me as she spoke. Instead, her eyes stayed focused on Mai. "She just kept getting weaker and weaker. We told her to see a doctor, but she kept saying that she could handle it herself." Her voice began to shake. "Finally one day she collapsed, and we had to call an ambulance. They said it was a seizure, but they don't know what caused it or why she went into a coma afterward. They say she's still showing signs of brain activity, but—" Her words cut off, and she turned away from me. I could see her shoulders shaking.

"Why didn't anyone tell us? Back home, we all just thought she was having a busy year at school…"I bit down hard on my tongue, trying to distract myself from the pressure that was building just behind my eyes.  _How could we be so stupid? Mai would never ignore us for so long._  I couldn't help but feel like I had already failed her somehow.

"Sh-she told us not to tell anyone that she was sick, not even our professors at school. And then, after th-the seizure, we tried to call, but no one ever answered…we called the SPR office, but the number was listed wrong or something, because no one ever answered there either. We thought she-she'd be up by now. She s-said she could ha-handle it." The girl broke down sobbing. I wanted to be mad at her, to be bat-shit furious that she hadn't contacted me or Naru or anyone, hadn't found a way to let us know…but it wasn't worth it. Being mad didn't change anything.

I tentatively put a hand on Amanda's back, hoping to be comforting rather than creepy.  _You barely know this girl, why are you touching her?_  To be honest, it just felt good to be close to someone. It felt like there was life in the room as I listened to her sob and felt the tremors in her shoulder blades. I could feel her emotional pain radiating off of her in waves. Still, I couldn't ignore the bitter taste in my mouth, or the quiet voice in the back of my mind that was asking "Why Mai? Why not someone else? Why not Amanda?" The thought made me feel ashamed, but I couldn't stop thinking it, no matter how hard I tried.

Amanda straightened, wiping her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm normally a lot calmer about this. I'd almost gotten used to this, like this is normal or whatever, since nothing's changed for almost 2 months." She sniffled, her eyes red and raw.

I smiled sadly and nodded, though she didn't seem to really notice that I was there. I let my hand fall to my side, and turned my attention back to Mai. Swallowing hard, I stepped up to the side of her bed, my legs shaking so badly I thought I might collapse. The whole situation seemed even more surreal up close. I gently picked up her hand, closing my fingers around her tiny, limp hand. I wanted to feel her twitch her finger, maybe move an eyelid while I was watching, but there was nothing. Her skin felt warm against mine, but it felt artificial. It wasn't Mai's warmth against my palm, it belonged to the machines that were keeping her alive. I uncurled my fingers and placed her hand back on the bed, where it lay still and unmoving.  _I wonder if she's even still in there…_  
  
A nurse came in to check Mai's machines. She said her name was Kiley, and she gave us a brief smile before quickly getting to work, checking numbers and taking notes.

"Visitors' hours are over in about 10 minutes, folks," Kiley said as she went about her business with mechanical efficiency.

I immediately felt like an idiot. I hadn't even considered the fact that there'd be visitors' hours. I chewed on the inside of my lip. I still had no idea what my dreams had been about, and with the condition Mai was in, I wasn't really sure how I was going to figure it out.

"What time do visiting hours start tomorrow?" I asked.

"10 AM."

"Thanks." I turned to Amanda, who was still staring bleakly at Mai's near-lifeless form. "Amanda, would it be possible for me to meet up with you tomorrow, and maybe some of Mai's other friends from school? I'd like to find out a little more about what happened to Mai before she…got like this." It took her a second to register that someone was speaking to her.

"What? Um, sure, I think I can arrange that. There's a coffee place just down the street, we can meet you there. Does 9:30 AM work for you?"  
  
I gave her a small smile. "Sure. I've got no other plans."

She tried to smile back, but it was so far removed from her eyes that she mostly just looked uncomfortable, and a little lost. "I guess I'll see you then, Mr. Takigawa."

I held up my hand. "Please, it's Houshou."

This time she really did smile, although it was a tired, helpless kind of smile. Better than nothing, I suppose.

"Well, see you tomorrow then, Houshou." She then turned and left, leaving me alone in the sea ofwhooshes and high-pitched beeps. Well, almost alone. Kiley the nurse was still fussing around Mai, tucking in the sheets and checking the equipment.

"Um, excuse me, ma'am, could I, um, have a moment alone with Mai?" I cleared my throat, trying to prevent a lump from forming there. "I just, uh, want to say goodbye for the night."  _Is that weird? That's probably weird…_  
  
To my surprise, Kiley smiled at me, a kind of pitying, understanding smile. I wondered then how many other patients Kiley had had that were like Mai, patients who slept for months or even years, patients who often never woke up. I wanted to thank her for her time spent caring for people in Mai's condition, offer her some kind of prayer or blessing, but none of it seemed good enough. Instead, I sheepishly bowed my head and said "thanks" in a quiet voice. Kiley left the room.

I took Mai's hand again, running my thumb over her small knuckles. "Mai, I…" I didn't even know how to start, or what I should say. "I…wish you were awake. I wish you could tell me what to do. I know you're in there somewhere, so if…if you can hear me, please…come back. Don't give up, not now, not yet. You said you needed my help, so now I'm here to give it. I'll do anything…just promise you'll come back. All your friends miss you, and more importantly, I miss you…" I cleared my throat again and looked up at the ceiling.  _Hold it together, man._  
  
"I, uh, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow too. And the day after that. And every day until you wake up. Just…try to make it quick, okay? I'm not a very patient man." I smiled briefly, but it quickly faded in the silence of the room. "Bye Mai," I said, squeezing her hand. I reached forward, intending to ruffle her hair the way I always used to, but it felt wrong. I hesitated, my hand hovering over her for a second, before finally deciding to brush her hair away from her eyes instead. I let out a heavy sigh, and headed for the door. When I stopped to look back, it almost looked like Mai was smiling.

_You're losing it, Takigawa. You need to get some sleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankfully, I have no experience with how long-term care facilities in hospitals function, which means I'm probably going to get some of this hospital stuff wrong. For the most part, I ask that you suspend your disbelief and just imagine that I know what I'm talking about. If I've gotten something HORRIBLY wrong, you're welcome to tell me! But since this story has already been posted elsewhere, I might not be able to change these things. Please forgive me for any errors you see!
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! Kudos and reviews are always appreciated. :)
> 
> (Also seriously check out the song "Lady Labyrinth" by Ludovico Einaudi -- it's gorgeous.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

 

When I got back to my hotel room, the exhaustion hit me like an avalanche. I'd been so focused on getting to Mai, so worried about what I might find when I got there, that I hadn't even noticed how heavy and slow my whole body felt. As the heavy door clicked shut behind me, I let myself fall backwards onto the bed, my feet dangling off the edge. It felt so good to lie down. My shoes were still on when I fell asleep 30 seconds later.

* * *

The dream started the way the first few had, where I was standing just outside the school where I'd first worked with SPR…where I'd first met Mai. This time I was ready for it. I began looking for Mai, squinting against the high morning sun. I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"I thought I'd find you here," Mai said from behind, sounding warm and happy as ever.

I turned and found her smiling at me, looking relieved. I expected to see her shining, shoulder-length hair and her brightly-colored summer dress, but instead her hair was long and limp, and she was dressed in her light green hospital gown. Her appearance was at odds with her wide, laughter-filled eyes. It felt like I got the wind knocked out of me. I stared in open-mouthed shock. I guess she found my horrified expression amusing, as she began to laugh softly, hiding her mouth behind one hand.

"Were you expecting someone else?" she said, giggling.

"Mai..." I said breathlessly. "What happened to you? Are you…is this real?"

"If I told you I was real, would you believe me?"

"Well, yeah, of course."

"Then yes, I'm real, although that doesn't mean too much. I could just be a figment of your imagination." She smiled at me, raising her eyebrows.

"I, uh, well, I mean—"

"Shh," she said, cutting me off. "It doesn't matter. I'm glad you came. C'mon, let's go for a walk. The grounds here are beautiful." She gestured to the trees that skirted the edge of the school grounds.

Before I could answer, Mai threaded her arm into the crook of my elbow and began to walk, her skin surprisingly warm and soft against my arm. My skin tingled where she touched me.

"Mai…if you are real…why me? Why not, y'know, Naru?"

Her eyes looked distant as she answered. "I never had a real connection with Naru, only with his brother's spirit." She looked down as she spoke, blinking slowly.

I cleared my throat and looked away, focusing instead on the trees around us. "I mean, I know that, but Naru is closer to here, er, Chicago I mean, and even if you didn't want to contact him, wouldn't Masako have been easier to contact or whatever this is that you're doing?"

"I'm not dead yet, Monk, Masako's no use to me here." I looked back at her, and her eyes seemed harder, colder than before.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm probably being rude, I just don't understand—"

"I think it's because you taught me warding magic."

"What?" I slowed to a stop and turned to face Mai.

"Remember? You taught me how to protect myself years ago when we were working on that case at Yasu's school. I wasn't very good at it back then, but that doesn't matter."

I nodded. "Of course I remember, but how—"

"You were the first to teach me any magic. Ayako did to, but only after you had lain the foundation. Magic like that leaves…I don't know, fingerprints. I think it forges some kind of pathway, a connection somehow. It's the only theory I've come up with that makes sense." As she spoke, she looked backwards over her shoulder and, tightening her grip on my arm, began to walk again, faster this time. "All I know is that when I reached out, you were there."

"I…guess that makes sense…"

She gave me a quick, playful nudge with her elbow. "What, did you expect some other reason?" She glanced over at me, her eyes twinkling.

"Uh, no! I just, y'know, never really thought about that."

She smiled and looked back at the path ahead, picking up speed, almost forcing me to break into a jog next to her.

"Mai, why are we going so fast?"

"Just trust me, ok? Follow my lead. We don't have much time. There's still so much I have to talk to you about…"

I swallowed, my heart thumping hard in my throat. Mai's grip on my arm got even tighter, and she pivoted quickly to the right and began dragging me through the forest, forcing me to duck under several unexpectedly low branches. I could feel the atmosphere changing, and I felt a light shiver run down my arms.

"How did it find us here so fast?" I heard Mai mutter. "We should have had at least 20 more minutes…"

Suddenly Mai came to a stop in a small clearing. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she pressed the heels of her hands against her temples.

"Mai, what's—"

Her eyes snapped back open. "You need to leave. Now. It's not safe for you here.

"But—"

"No. I can handle this myself. Wake up, now, Houshou. Quick, before it knows you're here."

"Mai—"

"NOW," she yelled, before shoving me aside and stepping in front of me. A gust of wind blew her hair back, and her jaw muscles tightened. She looked like a seasoned warrior facing an age-old enemy.

I wanted to stay, wanted to stand and fight beside her, but a strong feeling in my gut told me I'd only be a liability, and my presence might put Mai in more danger. _She's survived here for this long on her own…_

* * *

I blinked. It only felt like a half-second, but when I opened my eyes I was back in my hotel room with all my lights still on and a line of drool curving down my cheek from the side of my mouth.

"Dammit," I said aloud as I sat up and stretched my stiff limbs. I glanced at my phone. I'd been asleep for nearly 4 hours, and it was suddenly 10 PM.

As I changed into pajamas (and finally took off my shoes), I couldn't stop thinking about my brief time with Mai. _I know that was real, Mai. You…you were real. I wish it was all just in my head, but it isn't. You're in danger, and I have no idea how to help._ I sat back down on the bed and rested my head on my hands, suddenly wide awake. _You brought me here, Mai, now tell me what I can do to help you._  
  
I tried desperately to go back to sleep after that, but I couldn't seem to keep my eyes shut. In the darkness of my room, all I could see was the memory of Mai's determined face. After several hours, I finally managed to will my anxious brain to sleep. When I woke up just after 7 AM, I couldn't recall any dreams. _Stay strong, Mai. I believe in you._

* * *

At 9:20 AM, I found myself anxiously waiting at a corner table in the coffee shop Amanda had told me about. The coffee tasted burnt, but I drank it anyway, just so I had something to do with my hands. The coffee only made my anxiety worse though, and I kept my hands clasped under the table as much as possible, trying my best to let anyone see how badly I was shaking. In my head, I kept going over the details from my latest dream. _What is it that you need me to do, Mai?_  
  
At nearly 9:45 AM, Amanda showed up, with 2 other girls in tow. I waved at her from the corner, and got up to pull another chair up to the table. The other girls looked uncomfortable, or maybe just nervous. Maybe the just weren't looking forward to talking about Mai's condition with a complete stranger. I had tried my best to look friendly and unintimidating, but maybe my floral-print shirt was too much for them.

The girls sat down, draping their coats over the backs of their chairs and then plopping down with an air of exhaustion. I guess maybe they weren't morning people. Truthfully, neither was I, but I hadn't had much control over my sleeping patterns lately. Amanda sat to my right, while an unknown, pale brunette and a dark-skinned girl with her hair in tight, dark braids sat across from me, clustering close to Amanda. _Am I really that frightening?_

I smiled. "Hi, I'm Houshou, one of Mai's friends back home."

The girl with the braids nodded her head. "I'm Amber," she said in a tiny, quiet voice, like a mouse.

"I'm Monica," the brunette said, as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Sorry we were late," Amanda said, smiling apologetically. "Some of us…slept in."

Across the table, Monica rolled her eyes. "Or we just didn't want to go…" she muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.

I coughed lightly, trying to hide my reaction. My hand curled into a tight fist in my lap. Amanda shot Monica a narrow-eyed look, though Monica didn't seem to care. Amber shrunk down in her seat and glanced out the window.

"So, uh," Amanda said, turning back to me, "I'm gonna go grab a cup of coffee, do you guys want anything?"

The other girls shook their heads. I raised my cup slightly, a silent toast. "I'm good, thanks."

"Okay, well, I guess I'll leave you three here to, uh, chat."

 _Great. This is going to be a blast._  
  
As soon as Amanda was out of earshot, Monica locked eyes with me, her jaw muscles tensed. I took a sip of my coffee, which was now lukewarm, at best. "So, then, Monica, how—"

"Cut the crap, man. Why are you here?"

I choked on my coffee, some of the liquid going down the wrong tube in my throat. Sputtering and coughing made it impossible to get words out, which was maybe a saving grace, since I had no idea how to respond anyway. I finally managed to squeeze a few words out in between my wheezy coughing. "I don't—what—what do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. Why are you here? Mai's been sick for months, and now you show up? Where were you in November? Where were you even before that, when she was sick? Huh?" Monica leaned forward, hot red fury blazing in her eyes.

"Hey, Monica, come on…" Amber said, placing a hand on the other girl's arm. Monica just shrugged it off.

"No, Amber, something is weird here. I want to know what's going on." Monica's eyes turned back to me. "Well?" she asked, more like an order than a question.

I scratched my head. "I, well, I know this might seem like bullshit, but I didn't know Mai was in trouble until recently. She never told any of us back home that she was sick, and then, when the letters and texts and calls stopped coming, I, er, we…we all just figured she was busy." _Or that she'd outgrown us…outgrown me…_ I shrugged, staring at what was left of my cold coffee.

Monica's face showed no signs of softening. "We tried calling you. You and all her other 'friends.'" She put accusatory air-quotes around the word "friends" with her fingers. "No one ever answered."

"We never got those calls, any of them. It's been months since we last heard from Mai…"

"Yeah, sure."

I suppressed a frustrated groan. "Listen, Monica. I already feel like a crazy person with all this shit, and you're not helping. If you guys really did make those calls, I didn't get them, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm here now and I'm trying to help, and you accusing me of…of…whatever this is that you're accusing me of, that's not doing anyone any good, least of all Mai." I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying to fight off the headache that I could already feel looming behind my eyes.

Monica leaned forward against the table, her voice low and threatening. "What I'm accusing you of is being an asshole. What kind of person doesn't visit someone who's been in a coma for 2 months? And then you come in here like you're gonna fix this shit? You don't have any idea what you're dealing with here."

As she spoke, Monica's voice got steadily louder. "Monica, calm down, people are starting to look…" Amber spoke up again.

"I don't give a shit," Monica spat, disgusted.

"Monica, regardless of what you think, I didn't get any of those calls," I said quietly. "I know this seems weird, but I really didn't know about this until 2 days ago, and as soon as I knew Mai was in trouble, I flew straight here." I sighed heavily. "I don't know how to make you believe me, but it's true."

Monica snorted. "Whatever, dude. If you didn't get our phone calls, then how'd you finally find out?"

The mere thought of explaining my dreams to these girls, one of whom was actively hostile, was physically exhausting. I slumped forward against the table, my hands flat on the table, my forehead resting on my knuckles. Next to me, I heard Amanda sit down.

"Uh, everything okay over here?" she asked, though I'm sure she already knew the answer to that question.

"Yup," I said, my words muffled. "Everything's great. You're just in time to hear about how I'm complete insane." I sat up and leaned back wearily in my chair.

"Uh…okay…?" Amanda said, glancing worriedly at the other girls. Amber shrugged, but Monica didn't look, she just kept her eyes trained on me, as if she were expecting me to suddenly run away.

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Here it goes. Not too long after Mai stopped writing, I started having these dreams about her. They were always short, and always the same, and always ended with her screaming. Then, a couple weeks ago the dreams…changed. I thought it was just my brain telling me I missed Mai, but then…" I reached into my pocket and pulled out Mai's hospital bracelet. I placed it gingerly on the table, Mai's scream echoing once again in my ears. "She gave me this through a dream. She did something like this before, to one of our other friends. I don't know how, and I don't know why it was me that she picked, but it doesn't matter. She asked for my help, and I intend to give it to her."

When I finally looked up from staring at the bracelet, I found the other 3 staring at me. Amanda and Monica were giving me the "you're a psychopath" look I was expecting to see, but Amber was staring at me with wide, confused eyes.

No one said anything. _Alright, great, they think I'm nuts. Should have expected that, really._ I took another sip of coffee. "So…yeah." I didn't know what else to say to convince them that I was telling the truth, so I just let the silence linger.

"Wait, you're…are you serious?" Amanda said. "Oh, god, you are serious." She leaned back in her chair, a troubled look on her face.

Monica looked somehow satisfied. "See? Told you he was a whack-job. He probably doesn't even know Mai."

I groaned loudly. "No, I definitely know Mai, I helped her pay for college, I've known her since she was 15. She…I just…come on, she had to have told you guys about the dream thing, right? That's how she helped SPR solve all those cases. I'm not crazy…at least not about this." I could hear the desperation seeping into my voice, but I couldn't stop it. All I wanted was to get to the bottom of this thing, figure out what happened to Mai, and all this shit was just getting in the way. "Look, will you just tell me what happened before Mai went into the coma? We don't have to be friends, or really ever see each other again, I just want to figure out what happened so I can help Mai."

"Oh, what, so you're a doctor now?" Monica said, rolling her eyes.

This was quickly becoming the most infuriating conversation I'd ever had. _Why didn't Mai tell her friends about her abilities? Better yet, why the hell did I tell her that going to school all the way in America was a good idea?_  
  
"Listen, Houshou, we're gonna…go. Visiting hours have started by now, and, to be honest, you're starting to freak me out a little. We're going to go visit Mai quickly before we leave for class, so…I don't know. Maybe we'll see you later or something…" Amanda said. The tone of her voice made it clear that the less they saw of me, the better it would be for everyone. Monica was too busy giving me a hard-eyed glare to say anything, but her eyes said more than her words could have.

"Fine," I said, perhaps more sharply than I should have. I'd never felt so helpless in my whole life. "But the sooner you realize that I'm Mai's best shot of recovering from this thing, the sooner we can work together to help her."

Monica continued glaring at me. Amanda smiled at me the way you smile at a senile old man who's clearly lost his marbles. Amber, on the other hand, wasn't looking at me at all, and instead seemed to be fidgeting with something in her lap. Monica and Amanda stood up in unison to put their coats on. Amber followed suit, though she seemed hesitant to get up so soon.

Part of me felt betrayed; after meeting yesterday, I'd thought Amanda would have been more on my side in all of this. Instead, she and Monica has spent the last 15 minutes making me feel thoroughly and completely insane, although mostly I just felt exhausted. And confused, and a little bit furious. It's like the world had said: "Hey, Houshou, come fix this problem! Except no one will tell you anything about what the problem even is. Have fun!" I didn't blame Mai for any of it, and, as angry as I was at Monica and Amanda, I couldn't really blame them either. With my background in all things supernatural (and a few of my experiences in the music world), not much surprised me anymore. But for people who have both feet so solidly planted in this plane of existence…well, I guess all my talk of dreams might have been a little hard to stomach, especially while you're trying to process the illness and potential death of a close friend. _Although, for being close friends, you'd think Mai would have mentioned the dream thing…_  
  
As the other girls began to walk away, Amber hesitated next to the table, her eyes troubled and a little watery. "Amber, are you coming?" Monica called over her shoulder, already halfway to the door.

"Yeah…" Amber called back. She stared at me for another half-second before she slid a small piece of paper across the table to me. She locked eyes with me again, and I felt like she was trying to send me some kind of message. Then, she quickly turned and left, hovering behind the other two girls like a shadow, the way I'm sure she so often did.

I picked up the crumpled piece of paper. On one side, it was a receipt from the grocery store. On the other side, I found a quickly scribbled note, the ink smudged from being held between sweaty, nervous fingers. The note said: _I believe you._ Below it was an almost illegible phone number. I glanced back up, but Amber and the other girls were already gone. _Well,_ I thought as I looked back down at the note and the number, _it's a start._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! If you'll believe it, I was actually too busy writing to post more chapters. That and I've been working a lot. I'll try to be better about getting these chapters up! If you really can't wait, you can always check out the story as it gets posted on FanFiction.net. I'm up to chapter 20 over there. Of course THIS version is actually more polished (i.e. less typos and tiny mistakes), so take your pick. Anyway, thank you SO SO much for reading, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!


	5. Chapter 5

  **Chapter Five**

* * *

As I finished the final dregs of my coffee some 15 minutes after the girls had left, I felt my phone vibrate. My initial thought was that it was Amber somehow, and I was horribly confused when there was a man's voice on the other end.

"We're at the hospital. Where are you?"

It took my brain a second to start working. "Wait, what? Is this…Naru? That you?"

"Yes. Lin's here too. Where are you?"

I blinked, shocked. "You came all this way? Already?"

"It seemed important. Get over here, we don't have time for this." My phone beeped softly as Naru ended the call.

I couldn't help but smile as I gathered my stuff. Naru did care about his friends, even if he had a funny way of showing it.  _And what if he cares about Mai as more than a friend?_  I quickly pushed that thought aside.  _This isn't a competition. We just need to make sure Mai is safe._  Even so, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as I made my way back to the hospital.

My fingers fiddled with the scrap of paper that Amber had given me as I walked up to the huge hospital building. I still wasn't sure what to make of it, but it was encouraging to know that I had an ally, or at least I had someone who didn't think I had completely lost my mind.  _What did you expect to happen? You come in talking about dream visits and spirits and shit, what normal person_ _wouldn't_ _label you as a nut-case?_  I sighed. My stomach tightened into an uncomfortable array of knots as I anticipated the awkward situation that awaited me in Mai's hospital room. Even with Naru there to back my story up, I somehow doubted that Monica would ever believe, trust, or like me. I hoped fervently that the girls had already left for class.

Stepping into Mai's hospital room was much harder the second time. This time I knew what awaited me, the smell of bleach, the sight of Mai's pale expressionless face…I tried to fill my brain with images of dream-Mai, the beautiful, giggly young woman that felt more real to me than the girl in the hospital bed, but the sterile fluorescent light quickly dispelled any pleasant thoughts I had.

Mai looked the same as she had the day before, which shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. I guess it takes a while to get used to seeing your friend in a coma. Lin was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, while Naru stood next to the window, leaning coolly against the wall. The only other occupant of the room was Mai's roommate, who was wearing the same silent, blank-eyed expression that she had been wearing the day before. Monica, Amanda, and Amber were nowhere to be seen.

"Took you long enough," Naru said calmly. Nothing ever seemed to phase that kid. I guess that's a side effect of your brother dying.

"Good to see you too, Naru. It's been awhile." In the corner, Lin stood up to shake my hand. "Glad you could come, Lin. Wish this was under better circumstances."

Lin nodded. "Likewise."

It had been over 2 years since I'd last seen either Lin or Naru, and not much seemed to have changed. Lin was wearing a white dress shirt and a black tie, his dark hair nearly obscuring one of his eyes. Naru still wore all black, and still carried himself with the same confident swagger that I'd come to expect, and even admire. There were still deep shadows under his eyes, though I wasn't sure if they were bigger or smaller than the ones that had always been there before.

"Are you two the only people here?" I asked. I wanted to ask how they were, how things were in England with Naru's research, how Naru, or Oliver, was feeling emotionally, but, to be honest, I wasn't sure how. Naru didn't usually react kindly to personal questions, and he often would shut down or push you away. Instead, I stayed quiet.

"Yeah," Naru answered, "for now. Masako, Ayako and John are coming as soon as they can, so we should see them in the next few days. Yasu's busy on some big case, but he said he'd come as soon as he was able. Why, were you expecting someone?" I could hear a sort of smirk in Naru's voice, although none appeared on his face. His voice suddenly changed. "Tell me about the dreams." He spoke softly, but with an air of hard determination. His eyes turned to Mai and stayed focused there, his arms crossed loosely over his narrow chest. "Lin, take notes, please." Lin already had his notebook out, his pen ready to go.

"Uh, sure…" I said, feeling a little nervous. It was the first time I'd ever been a witness instead of an investigator, and recounting my story while Lin took notes felt strange, to say the least. As I finished recounting the latest dream, the 3 of us lapsed back into silence, all stuck in our own thoughts.

"She said it was because you taught her a warding spell?" Lin asked, eyes scanning his notes.

"Yeah, that's her theory. Makes sense, I guess. Why?"

"I've never heard of anything like that before," Lin said, sounding as matter-of-fact as ever. "It seems plausible, I suppose. But still…to connect to a person's dream over such a long distance…Mai must be more powerful than we thought." Lin didn't sound surprised, merely interested. _But if Mai is so powerful, why does she need me?_  I swallowed hard, a new sense of sickening urgency blossoming in my gut.  _Whatever Mai is up against must be bad…very bad._  
  
Naru continued to stare at Mai. Somewhere deep in his nearly expressionless face, I knew he was just as concerned as I was.

I took a step closer to Mai's bed. "Thanks for coming all this way, Naru…Oliver. It means a lot."

He glanced at me and shrugged his shoulders, though something in his eyes told me  _"this isn't for you._ "

"So, have you done any research? Found out what happened? What may have caused this?" Naru asked, all business.

"Well, I tried," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I met Mai's friends Amanda, Monica and Amber this morning, but they…well, things didn't go well. I, uh, I told them about the dream thing and 2 of them thought I was nuts. Can't say I blame them, really. The 3rd one, Amber, seemed willing to talk to me though, so maybe that'll lead somewhere." I looked down and scuffed the toe of my shoe against the tiled floor. "All I know is that she was sick for a while, had some kind of seizure, and ended up like this," I said quietly, not looking up.

"Well, we're going to need more to go on than that. Lin, see if you can access Mai's hospital records. That will give us a more accurate picture of what's going on." Lin nodded curtly, still quickly scribbling notes. Naru turned to me, moving with the precision of a drill sergeant. "Monk, meet with that girl, Mai's friend. See what she can tell you. See if she and the others would be willing to meet with me, since you're obviously incapable of making a good impression with them." I would have been offended, but the kid had a point.

I nodded, a little bewildered. It'd been a long time since I had heard Naru sound so determined. I don't know that I've ever seen him happy, but at least in that moment he seemed to have a purpose. Maybe that's as close to happiness as he could get.

"And what'll you be doing, Boss Man?" I asked, smirking. It felt sort of good to take orders again, like we were back in the old days of SPR, back before everything had gone to hell. Thinking about the SPR days just made me miss Mai even more, and I quickly tried to bury all those old memories.

"Doing my own research," he said. "I'm going to see what I can find out from the nurses, and see what I can learn from Mai's personal items that are here."

I nodded again. An image of Naru holding Masako's comb in that insane murder-house flitted through my head. Sometimes I still thought of Naru as the bossy, self-important kid with no spiritual powers and a shitload of money, the kid we'd all thought he was for so long. I always had to remind myself that he wasn't Kazuya Shibuya anymore, that he was Oliver Davis, noted psychic and brilliant English researcher.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll go call Amber then…" I said, hesitating. It felt like I'd only just gotten there.

"Good idea. The sooner we gather information, the sooner we can solve this case," Naru said. I bristled as he said the word "case."  _It's not a just a case...this is Mai, not some client..._

I glanced at Mai's sleeping form, feeling guilty for spending so little time there with her.  _You'll see her tonight. No reason to get all weird about it,_  I told myself. I stepped forward to the side of Mai's bed, directly across from where Naru stood. I reached out to squeeze Mai's warm, limp hand, just as I had the night before. I wondered if she could feel my touch, or if this was just a useless gesture for my own benefit. I made a note to ask her when I saw her next.

"Bye Mai," I said quietly. "I guess I'll see you tonight."

When I looked up, I saw that Naru was watching me, though I couldn't read the expression on his face. I took a step back and let go of Mai's hand, my face turning pink.

"Well, uh, I'll just…I'll just get going then," I said, hoping I didn't sound nearly as awkward as I felt. "I'll, um, keep in touch."

Naru nodded. As I turned to go, he called my name. "Takigawa…" he hesitated.

"Yeah?"

"…Tell Mai to be careful." He looked down as he spoke, not looking at me, not looking at Mai. In the corner, Lin looked up from his notes. I wondered if it was the first time Lin had ever heard Naru say something like that.

"I will, Oliver."

He nodded again, and I took that as my cue to leave. In the hallway, I paused, glancing back in the room one more time. Naru was standing close to Mai's bed, leaning forward slightly, his eyes dark, his expression still unreadable. He reached forward with his left hand and began lightly running the knuckles of his left hand along Mai's forearm, the way you might to a sleeping child…or a lover.

I quickly walked away, my eyes wide as I tried to process everything.  _You're overreacting, Monk. Naru is just worried about his friend. There was never any actual feelings between them, it was all between Mai and Gene._  My thoughts raced as I waved goodbye to the nurses and made my way out of the hospital. Outside, a gust of frigid, razor-sharp wind hit me in the face. Suddenly, I stopped.

 _No,_  I thought,  _Mai's_ _feelings were always for Gene…but Naru's feelings…_  I felt an uncomfortable weight settle in my stomach.  _What if Naru always had feelings towards…_  
  
I shook my head vigorously, hoping my brain worked like an etch-a-sketch and would erase itself if shaken hard enough.  _It doesn't matter_ , I told myself.  _None of this matters until Mai wakes up._  
  
I began walking again, focusing on this new-found resolve. Even so, I couldn't keep the spring out of my step as I thought about how I, and I alone, would get to see Mai tonight.

* * *

Back in my hotel room, I shot a text to Amber.

**HT: Hey, it's Houshou. Thx for the #. I promise I'm not THAT crazy. Are you free tonight?**

A few seconds later, I got a response:

**AM: No problem. Yes I am, why?**

**HT: Can you meet here in the hotel restaurant? I want to talk about Mai.**

This time the response took a couple of minutes, long enough that I'd started to worry I'd scared her off already.

**AM: Sure. Not a date, right?**

**HT: DEFINITELY not a date. All business. Don't worry.**

**AM: Good. 6 PM?**

**HT: Perfect. See you then.**

**AM: See you.**

I let out a deep sigh. I had the distinct feeling that this was going to be awkward, but I was mostly just relieved that Amber had talked to me at all. I checked the clock and saw that it wasn't even noon yet. I considered taking a nap, but decided against it. I needed to make sure I could fall asleep tonight, since that was when Mai had always contacted me before. I didn't want to take a risk and screw something up, in case Mai could only contact me at certain times.

I glanced at the clock again.  _Well…I guess it's as good a time as any to buy a new coat…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting rid of the Chapter Summaries, since they seem relatively pointless. I mean, you're (hopefully) going to read the chapter anyway, why summarize it for you?
> 
> Sorry it's taken me so long to transfer a new chapter over! Again, this fic is already posted on Fanfiction.net, with 23 chapters up. I'm not sure how long the final product is going to be...probably 30 chapters at the very least. But I'm trying to get it all posted on AO3, since this seems to be a better platform...hopefully I'll get better about actually posting on here!
> 
> So anyway, let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

One new coat, two new shirts, a new hat, a pair of gloves, and several hours later, I was feeling distinctly Chicagoan. I guess that's what it feels like when you're actually prepared for the weather. It felt so nice to be able to go outside and not lose feeling in my arms. I still had some time to kill before my 6 PM meeting with Amber, so I took a shower and tried to make myself look presentable (i.e. not crazy), before flopping down in front of the TV.

It seemed like ages before 6 PM rolled around, but maybe that was just because I was dreading it so much. I half expected the whole thing to be one elaborate practical joke designed to make me feel even more insane. Maybe I was insane. Still, I'd rather be nuts and seeing Mai (even if she turned out to be fake) than be perfectly sane and stuck in a completely helpless reality.

My heart ached for the old days, the days of SPR. I knew I was looking at it all through rose-colored glasses, focusing on all the good instead of the bad, but even so, it was all so much simpler back then. We were all so much younger back then. So naïve, in so many ways. My mind flashed back to Yasu's school, to Mai's panicked pleas to Naru, trying to convince him to save the students instead of turning the curse back on them. I remembered trying to calm her down in the stairwell, after she'd called Naru a murderer and ran away. She'd been shaking so hard, I had to cup her face in my hands to help her remember to breathe. Her skin had been so soft…I certainly hadn't felt that way about Mai back then, but over the years I'd watched her grow up, so it was only natural that I… _No. She's you're friend. She's in trouble. This isn't the time, Takigawa._  
  
I sighed heavily, flipping through the channels on the TV, though I wasn't really watching any of them. Watching Mai grow up…I'd always expected her to date someone her own age, someone like Yasu, but it never happened. She'd always laugh whenever Ayako would ask her about her love life, and would brush the question off like it was nothing. I was afraid she'd fallen too in love with Naru to move on, or she'd gotten too attached to us. I told her to go to the U.S., told her to pursue her dreams, because even though it hurt like hell, she deserved the best. I didn't want us, or specifically me, to hold her back.

I thought I was protecting her from wasting her potential…I thought I was protecting her from all the damned thoughts and feelings that were sprouting in my brain every day. Turns out I was sending her into some even greater danger.

Back in that stairwell, I'd told her to have faith in Naru. Now, she had put her faith in me. All I could do was pray that whatever power I had was enough to help her do what she needed to do.

When I looked at the clock, it was 5:57 PM. A wave of panic crashed through my head as I scrambled to grab all my stuff and put my shoes on. I was out the door a minute later.

* * *

Amber was waiting for me in the lobby. I tried to look calm and collected, but I still felt frazzled.

"Hey, sorry I wasn't down here sooner. Lost track of time, I guess." I stuck out my hand for her to shake. She gave me a strange look and then briefly shook my hand, her palm all cold and clammy.  _Shit. Maybe you don't shake girls' hands? I'll never understand this damn country..._  
  
"It's okay. I wasn't waiting long. I also can't stay late, I've got a lot of homework tonight." She barely looked at me as she spoke, and her hands seemed tightly clenched around the strap of her purse. I got the distinct feeling that she didn't like being around people all that much.

"That's fine. Let's get a table." I led the way into the restaurant and requested a table for 2. We were seating next to the windows, given menus, and were then promptly left alone.

"So…" I said, not sure where to start.

"Um…I just want you to know that I believe you. About…about the dreams, you know." She immediately took a sip of water, successfully avoiding eye contact.

I smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad there's at least one person on the planet who thinks I'm sane."

She smiled back hesitantly.

"So, Mai told you about her dream…stuff? Her…her power or whatever you want to call it?"

Amber shook her head 'yes.' "She's showed me."

My eyebrows knitted themselves together, confusion evident in my face. Amber shrunk lower in her seat, sinking into the folds of her massive, puffy coat. "She's…she can do that?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. We practice together, or at least we used to. When she…got sick, she said we had to stop. And then she had the seizure, and I can't…I tried, but it's like there's a wall there." As she spoke, she began rearranging the tiny packets of butter that were in a bowl to her right, her eyes focused intently on the task.

"So you can do it too?"

She nodded in agreement. The waiter brought our drinks, a pint of beer for me (some locally brewed thing), and a sprite for her. The waiter promised to return to take our order in a couple of minutes, and then left. Amber emerged from her coat-cocoon briefly to take a sip of sprite, before sinking back into it again.

"I'm not as good as Mai is, but she says that's just because she had a good teacher. She doesn't like to talk about him much though. I guess his name was Gene?"

I looked down at my beer, swirling the liquid around in the glass. Although I'd never met Gene, from what Lin and later Mai had said, he sounded like a great guy.  _Gene wouldn't have wasted so much time, he would have already saved Mai by now,_  a sly, sinister voice said in the back of my mind.

_Yeah, but he's not here. It's just me._  I took another sip of beer.  _And besides, Mai doesn't need to be saved. She just needs a little help, that's all…I hope._  
  
"Mai never talked to Monica about any of this. Monica is nice, but she…she has a problem with ghosts. She knows that Mai used to be a psychic researcher, but around Monica, Mai would focus mostly on the cases that ended up having some kind of scientific explanation, like that one with the sinking school." Amber seemed to be getting more comfortable talking to me. I got the sense that she didn't get to talk to very many people about these things.

At the mention of the case at the school, my mind was jolted back in time.  _It's where we first met! Or don't you remember?_  I could still hear the sound of her giggle… _Snap. Out. Of. It._  I told myself forcefully.  _I don't have time for that now._

Amber hadn't seemed to notice my lapse in concentration, thankfully, and continued talking.

"Amanda…I don't know why she was so weird today. She knows what Mai can do, although she usually goes along with whatever Monica says or does. They've been friends since high school. Mai always said there was something special about Amanda too, but I never knew what it was. Mai said…she said there's something special about most people…" Amber stared hard at her hands, her eyes blinking furiously. I wanted to tell her it was okay, that everything would be alright, but I couldn't bring myself to lie and give the girl some of my fake confidence. The truth was, it wasn't ok, and I had no idea when, or even if, things would get better. So instead we sat in silence for a moment, lost in our own thoughts.

By the time the waiter came back, Amber had regained her composure. We each ordered our meal, and were once again left alone.

"So…how did you girls meet?"

"We were all roommates. Well, Amanda and I were, and Monica was with Mai during our freshman year. Since Monica and Amanda were already friends, the 4 of us just sort of came together."

I took another drink of my beer. "Could you, um, tell me what happened before…all of this?" I couldn't bring myself to directly mention the coma.

"I mean, I don't know everything, but I'll tell you what I can."

"That's all I need. Anything you can tell me would be a huge help."

Amber smiled, though it was more to her drink than to me. She chewed her lip for a second before beginning. "I'm not living with them this year, since I graduated a semester early and didn't know if I'd be staying here after that, so most of what I know is second-hand…apparently Mai was spending a lot of time studying with Amanda, and one night she just looked pale and said she had a headache, so Amanda told her to go to bed. When I came over the next day, she seemed…confused. She kept saying she couldn't remember things very well, like stuff for her test the next day, or even what she'd done the night before. It was a Wednesday, and that was usually the day that me and her would practice and talk about different psychic abilities. She'd quiz me on poltergeists and different kinds of spirits and stuff... Anyway, she said we shouldn't practice, not while she felt so strange, so I made her some tea and sat with her until she fell asleep…"

Amber took a sip of her sprite, and looked around to see if the waiter was coming back with our food yet. Once she decided that the coast was clear, she continued.

"Mai kept getting worse over the next few weeks. She was tired all the time, and she was constantly cold, even when she was under all the covers. We finally made her go to the doctor, since we thought it could be mono or something, even thou she insisted it couldn't be mono, since she hadn't kissed anyone in a long time."

I breathed a light sigh of relief, and was immediately glad that Amber hadn't noticed.  _Why should I care if she's kissed anyone?_  I thought, but that thought led me to thoughts of kissing Mai…I took a large gulp of beer, and tried to stay focused on Amber's words.

"I think she went to the doctor just to prove us wrong, since she kept saying she was fine, just a little tired. The doctor at the clinic seemed to agree, because he just said that Mai needed to get more exercise and vitamin D. We wanted to believe she was fine, but…I mean, she didn't have the energy to watch TV with us most nights, and she stopped calling and texting everyone. Eventually, she even stopped going to class…she said she had it all under control, that she was 'handling it' and everything, but then just before Thanksgiving, Amanda called me to tell me they'd taken her to the hospital, that she'd had a seizure, that…that she-she wouldn't wake up…"

Amber's voice broke softly. She held it together pretty well, even managing to smile and say "thank you" when the waiter dropped off our food. We ate in silence for a few minutes. There wasn't much left to say, really, other than false comfort and small talk about the weather. We focused on our food.

Then Amber spoke again, though her voice was quiet. "She told me all about you, you know," Amber said, spearing a piece of asparagus with her fork, her eyes flashing up briefly to meet mine.

I ran a hand through my hair, embarrassed. "She told us about you guys, too." It wasn't completely a lie, as Mai had told us about her friends from school, but she always wanted to hear more about our lives than she wanted to talk about her own. She was always a pretty private person; it had been months before she'd even told us about her parents all those years ago. None of us had ever even thought to ask.  _You care so much about this girl…how well do you even know her?_  
  
"No, I mean, she talked about all of you guys, but you…you were in her dreams a lot. When we'd practice dream-jumping, as she called it, and I'd go into her dreams, she'd usually be dreaming about SPR…and mostly it was memories of you. At first I thought you were Gene, but she told me she doesn't dream of him. I think she does, she just doesn't let me see. She…she dreams about your laugh a lot." Amber seemed to sink in on herself, embarrassed. "I shouldn't be telling you any of this."

I had no idea what to say.  _What does that mean? Does this even mean anything?_  I desperately wanted it to mean everything, but I knew I was getting ahead of myself.  _She probably just sees me as an older brother, or_ , I gulped, _some kind of father figure…_  
  
Even though it was probably nothing, my stomach still filled up with butterflies at the thought of being a part of Mai's dreams. I hadn't felt that feeling since I'd been in school. But all the bugs in my gut didn't change the situation. I still had no idea how to help Mai, or what had caused all of this.

"Thanks for telling me this, Amber," I said, my voice low and calm. I wanted to tell her how much it meant to me, but I thought she already knew that. For the first time all dinner, she looked at me and smiled. It was just a quick flash, but it still felt like I was getting somewhere close to friendship.

"Listen, Houshou, I wish I could stay, but I've really got to get home," Amber said as she checked the time on her phone. "How much to I owe you for dinner?"

I shook my head. "It's on me. That's the least I can do."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind."

"No, please don't worry about it. You've helped me so much today. And besides, I've got one more favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"Naru, er, Oliver is here to see if he can figure out what's causing this. I know this might be difficult, but he'd like to meet with you and Amanda and Monica, if at all possible. It's just to gather information, so maybe Monica will be…more willing to meet with him. I'm sure he'll have the good sense to avoid the dream topic." I cracked a smile, and Amber let out a short laugh.

"I'll see what I can do. No guarantees, though."

"No worries. I'll uh, I guess I'll be in touch?"

"Sure, Houshou. Thanks for dinner. I'll, um, I'll see you around." She smiled again, though it still seemed half-hearted, and then she was gone. I was alone again. I was starting to hate that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos you guys! And thanks for reading, of course. It means a lot to me!


	7. Chapter 7

As I waited for the waiter to pick up the check at the restaurant, I shot Naru a quick text.

**HT: Met with Amber. Information didn't seem very useful. She's going to try & get the others to meet with us. IDK when.**

**OD: Good. Be ready to debrief tomorrow.**

I rolled my eyes at his use of the word "debrief." He'd probably get sassy with me for not taking notes, but oh well.

**HT: Why not tonight?**

**OD: Go to bed, Monk.**

I was about to tell him that I was perfectly awake, thank you very much, and that I wasn't yet old enough to need to go to bed at 8 PM, but then I realized what he was actually saying. It was time to try and meet with Mai again.

**HT: Roger that. See you in the morning.**

After paying the bill, I headed quickly back to my room. My whole body felt wired and my veins felt like light-bulb filaments. Every part of me was jittery and jumping, so much so that it took me 3 tries to untie my shoes, since I couldn't seem to keep my fingers still.

It took ages for me to finally fall asleep. The reality of the situation was starting to hit me, and thinking about how much depended on me made me feel a little sick to my stomach. I was usually pretty good at dealing with pressure, but I'd never been in such a serious life-or-death situation. _If I screw up…no, better not think about that._ Somehow I managed to force my eyes shut long enough for my brain to shut off.

* * *

 

In my dream, everything was all black. I wasn't moving, in fact I couldn't move, but my stomach felt like I was falling. My mouth felt sealed shut, and I couldn't even make a sound. It felt like being underwater, with pressure crushing me from all sides. All around me I heard heavy, guttural breathing. The air was hot, and I could feel it blow gently against my face like a breeze. It smelled like death and mold and rotten things.

I had no idea where I was or what was happening, but I did know 2 things: one, I was dreaming, and two, I was in more danger than I'd ever been in my whole life.

A massive pair of yellow-green eyes opened in front of me, with slit-like pupils the size of my head. The growling breaths grew heavier, excited, like this thing was panting.

" _I know who you are…_ " a low, gravelly voice spoke in my head, vibrating through every nerve-ending in my body.

I couldn't see the rest of the thing's face, only the eyes, but somehow I knew it was smiling.

* * *

 

My eyes snapped open, and I found myself alone in my dark hotel room, although I didn't feel quite alone. I lay in bed, breathing desperately, a thick, heavy pressure pushing just behind my eyes. After a minute, the pressure subsided, but my heartbeat did not.

_What the hell was that?_

I'd never felt anything like it before, and I hoped I never would again. I felt…exposed. Under normal circumstances I would have just brushed it off as a strange dream, a weird story to tell my friends, something to wonder briefly about and then to be forgotten. But now…now I knew better.

I rolled over and flipped on the lamp next to my bed, while trying to ignore how much my hand was shaking. I grabbed the complimentary notebook and pen that come in every hotel room and began quickly jotting down every detail I could remember from my dream, all while praying fervently that Naru or Lin could recognize what we were dealing with here.

After I finished writing down (and reliving) my nightmare, I dropped back down on my pillow, leaving the lamp on. I felt the way I used to feel as a kid, like light was some cleansing force that could protect me from evil. I knew better than that now, or I liked to think I did. As a monk, I had more power than a thousand bed-side lamps, but that didn't make me feel any better about my situation. I'd been powerless in my dream. Unable to move, unable to speak…I was no use to anyone, least of all myself.

If that was the creature who was attacking Mai…things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

I knew I had to go back to sleep, as it was the only way I could see Mai again, but my heart wouldn't stop racing. Every time I tried to close my eyes, my mouth would go dry and my head would fill up with the smell of rotting meat.

It took about 2 hours of meditation and another 10,000 sheep jumping over a fence before I was able to even consider falling back asleep.

* * *

 

This dream began with heavy darkness, but this time the darkness felt…empty. I knew that thing was somewhere in there, but it felt like it was in another room, or maybe even asleep. I knew it wasn't gone, though, knew it instinctively, the way a rabbit knows which way to run to get away from the wolf.

"Monk!" I heard Mai's voice close by, but it seemed to be coming from every direction. Still, my whole body flooded with warm relief.

"Mai!" I called back, my dream-tongue finally working.

I felt a warm set of small fingers entwine around my own, and with a quick jerk on my arm I was yanked into a pool of bright sunlight. I whirled to my right and found Mai standing next to me, her wide, brown eyes staring out from beneath a furrowed brow.

"Oh thank god," I said as I wrapped my arms around Mai. She felt so small in my arms, and her head fit perfectly just below my chin. "I was so worried, I-"

My common sense snapped back into place, and I immediately recoiled as if my arms were spring-loaded. I laughed nervously, more like a cough than a chuckle, and folded my arms tightly in front of me. "I, uh, sorry about that. I'm just really, um, really glad to see you and I just had this terrible dream and—"

Mai cut me off. "I know. I felt him leave." She sighed, and I thought I could see her arm tremble as she brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "I thought I was careful, I didn't think that he'd notice…I'm so sorry, Houshou."

I scratched the back of my neck, still too embarrassed from my lapse in judgment to look at her, although it seemed that she hadn't even noticed. "Sorry for what? It's not your fault that—"

"It is, though," she said. The pain in her words made my heart ache. "He knows your name now. I can feel him thinking it, playing with the sound of it, planning his next move. You have to be careful, Monk. You're not safe when you sleep."

I wished that she'd call me by my first name again, rather than calling me "monk," just so I could hear the way my name rolled off her tongue. I cleared my throat, a sad attempt to force my brain to focus on the situation at hand.

"So…what are you saying? I should stop sleeping?" I meant it as a joke, my thoughts still giddy over the fact that Mai was right in front of me again, but my words fell flat. Mai gave me a hard, narrow-eyed stare. "Wait…you're not…you think I should stop coming here? Stop coming to see you?"

Mai bit her lower lip and stared at the ground, her hair obscuring her face.

"Hey, whoa, no way, lady. You really think I'm going to give up that easy? I'm here to figure this thing out, and you can't stop me." I tried to sound cocky and confident, but I think even Mai heard the panic in my voice. To stop coming to see Mai would mean a return to helplessness, a return to futility, a return to…well, to life without Mai. Whether she was interested in me or not, she was my friend, and if she was in danger I wasn't about to just walk away.

"Technically, Takigawa, I could very easily stop you," Mai said, smiling thinly. "But…I won't." This last part was barely a whisper, but I caught every word. My heart fluttered in my chest with wings of a hummingbird.

"Besides," she said, "You don't even know what you're doing to get here. Telling you to stop dream-searching me would be like telling a baby not to poop his diaper."

My mouth fell open as I pretended (well…mostly pretended) to be offended. Mai laughed. It was only once, but it was enough to send my heart racing again.

"So, wait…I'm doing this?" I asked. "I always thought it was you. Dreams are your gig, after all."

"The first few dreams were all me. But since you came to the U.S., you've been the one making most of the calls, all I have to do is pick up the phone, so to speak."

"And that…that thing? He…"

"He picked up the phone first."

Mai fell silent, probably getting mad at herself again for exposing me to Mr. Ghost-breath. I wanted to say something comforting, but everything I came up with sounded cheap and cheesy in my head, so I stayed silent. For the first time in the dream, I took a look at my surroundings, expecting to see the same school, the same parked van, the same forest as before.

"Hey, Mai…where are we?"

She looked up. "Oh, yeah, sorry. This was my favorite park when I was a kid. It was 2 blocks from my house, and my dad used to take me here after work sometimes…" her voice trailed off. We began walking, an unspoken decision that we made for who knows what reason. We took slow, meandering steps, walking close enough to almost feel each other's body heat.

"So what happened to the school?" I asked quietly, hesitant to break Mai's reverie.

"It's still here. It just seems safer to avoid memories of you, since that would be the first place he would look for you in here." There was no need to ask who "he" was. Mai sounded sad as she spoke, but I just chalked that up to my overactive imagination.

We walked in silence for a moment, walking past a small fountain surrounded by wildflowers. The park was completely empty, although it appeared to be the middle of the day. Other than the sound of birds and of our own footsteps, the place was silent and still.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, thinking out loud.

"You're in my head," Mai said, "so we're alone in here. I used to imagine people in here with me, children playing in the fountain, young couples holding hands on the benches…it was like playing with dolls. I got bored, and exhausted, so I stopped." For the first time, I noticed how tired she sounded. _What else have I missed?_

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry for bringing it up."

She laughed softly. "Don't worry about it. You're here now, it's not so bad."

"Well, well, uh, I'm glad, hah hah," I stammered, feeling like a hopeless idiot. She looked up at me and smiled, the kind of genuine smile where your cheeks scrunch up and your eyes get all crinkly at the corners, and for a moment it felt like we were just two people enjoying a warm summer day at the park. For a moment, it all felt normal. I wanted to kiss her then. The need to feel her lips on mine burned hot and bright in my stomach, and for a second I thought I'd actually do it…but then reality sucked me back into its cold grasp, and I knew I couldn't. _You're a selfish bastard, Takigawa,_ an ugly voice sneered in my head. _This girl is in danger, and all you can think of are your own stupid feelings._ I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping to forget that thought, but it didn't work. That voice was right, even if I didn't want to admit it. As we continued walking, I moved a little bit away from Mai, trying to keep a cool distance between us. She glanced over at me as I did it, but didn't say anything. She didn't try to move closer to me either. _Dammit…_

"So…" I began, unable to stand the silence between us any longer. "I met some of your friends today."

Mai's face lit up as she stopped walking. "Really? Who?"

"Well, I met Amanda yesterday, but I never got a chance to tell you…" The memory of Mai standing tall against that vicious wind ( _Breath. You know it's breath now, and the smell of rotten meat…_ ) came rushing back, and I was suddenly very conscious of how much time had already passed….and how little time we might have left in this dream. I began speaking faster. "And this morning, I met Monica and Amber too, although Monica thought I was nuts and she managed to turn Amanda against me too, but Amber trusted me, so—"

"Whoa, whoa, Houshou, we still have time. The…He's sleeping still, whatever he is. He gets tired too, just like I do. You can slow down." She smiled gently at me, and though her smile was beautiful, I could still feel my heart racing, and I had to fight the urge to glance over my shoulder every few seconds to see if something was behind us. "So Monica didn't like you, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "She loathed me. And then I mentioned the dreams…her and Amanda walked out."

Mai laughed. "I'm not surprised at Monica. She hates all that supernatural stuff. I am surprised at Amanda though. She's usually not like that."

"Yeah, it was weird. I think they're just having a hard time with you being…you know…"

"Practically dead?"

"I…uh, well, yeah, though I wouldn't put it quite so harshly…"

"You don't need to protect me, Monk. I know what's happened to me." Her voice was hard, her words harsh. Suddenly she looked down, and her voice grew quiet. "At least…I know some of it…"

"Do you remember anything before you went into the, ah, coma?" I still hated saying the word coma, hated saying it here where it could ruin our temporary paradise, but I knew there was no escaping reality, no matter how badly I wanted to.

"No," she said, her voice harsh again, although it sounded like it was about to crack. "He's…He's taken those memories somehow. I remember everything up until just before I got sick…and then it's all blank, except for this." She spread her arms, palms towards the sky.

I felt a glimmer of panic flash in my brain. "So you don't remember anything? You don't know what caused this?"

Her shoulders slumped down and her head hung so low her chin was almost touching her chest. "No," she whispered, and fear surged in my mind.

"So we have no idea what we're up against," I said grimly, my mouth a thin line.

"It's not as hopeless as you think, Houshou. You're here now, and I'm learning more and more about the enemy every day." She placed a soft hand on my arm. "Don't give up hope yet."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look at a tree just over Mai's shoulder, trying to ignore the tingling in my arm or the fast gallop of my heartbeat. "Mai, I…" I swallowed again, doing my best not to stutter over my words. "I don't know how to help you. I can't come charging in to save you the way I did when you were a teenager. My powers as a Monk don't seem to work in here. I'm…I'm useless."

Mai took her hand off my arm ( _Why does my arm suddenly feel so naked?_ ) and stood up straighter. "You're not here to save me. You're here to help me. I'm not 15 anymore."

I wanted to tell her that I was well aware of her age, but I thought it best to stay silent.

"And as for your powers…you're right. They don't work in here. But in here, you've got some different skills to use. You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"I have…what? What are you talking about?"

She smiled, one of those cheeky little grins that meant she knew something I didn't. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to use them, at least I will once we figure out what they are." She reached up and cupped my face with one hand. "The sooner you realize that this isn't reality, the easier this whole thing will be."

 _But what if I want this to be reality…_ I thought, all while savoring the feel of her palm against the stubble on my cheek. I opened my mouth to say something more, but quickly closed it again when I saw Mai's face fall. This time I felt the signs too, and I could feel the air turn thick and cold around me, followed by the wet stench of decay.

As I met Mai's eyes, the ground began to rumble beneath us. I could see fear in her eyes, but also a hard, familiar determination. I knew she was about to tell me to leave, so I nodded, one quick up-down bob of my head to let her know that I understood. She nodded back.

"I'll be back tomorrow," I said, almost shouting as the wind began to pick up. There was so much more I wanted to say to her, so much more we had to talk about, but I knew there was no time for that now.

"I'll be waiting," she replied, before turning away from me.

Instinctively, I closed my eyes tightly, and when I opened them again I was back in my hotel room. I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the dark blue pre-dawn light, and then reached over to grab the pad of paper off the nightstand. I felt exhausted, emotionally and physically, but it didn't matter. I knew I wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Sorry it's taking me so long to transfer this story over from FF...truth is, I'm pretty stuck in my ways, having been an FF veteran for much of my (often embarrassing) formative years. So, being the crabby old fart that I am, I don't really understand how AO3 works, and am often confused by how to use it. It's a learning curve, I guess.
> 
> BUT. I'll post 2 new chapters here today, maybe more (depending on how much time I have), so hopefully that will kickstart my brain into getting this shit done. As always, this story is available (up through chapter 29) on fanfiction.net, so if you're just dying to know what happens next, head over that way!
> 
> More importantly, thank you for reading. You are an excellent human being, and I hope you're enjoying the story.


	8. Chapter 8

"So you're saying she doesn't remember anything?" Naru asked. I could hear the exasperation in the monotone of his voice, but that was nothing compared to how I felt.

"Yes," I said through clenched teeth. "We've already gone over this. We've gone over this at least twice already, Naru. Enough."

I'd texted Naru around 6:30 AM, to see if he was up. Apparently he'd already been up for an hour and a half, and he and Lin had been impatiently waiting for my lazy ass to wake up. Naru texted me his room number, and essentially ordered me to get up there as fast as possible. We'd gone over my story, both my dreams and my meeting with Amber, for over an hour. I hadn't even eaten breakfast yet, but all I wanted was a drink, preferably something alcoholic.

"But if Mai doesn't remember anything about how she got this way or what this thing is, how are we supposed to do anything. What's her plan?"

"I don't know, Naru." I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands. I probably looked like hell, but I also felt like hell, so I guess at least my insides matched my outsides. "I'm not really convinced that she knows either. This is all a work in progress. We've just got to trust her."

"Trust her?!" Naru exploded, shooting up from his chair. "How are we supposed to trust her when she isn't giving us a plan or information to trust in? How are we supposed to trust her when she goes rushing into danger at every possible opportunity, without so much as a single thought about the consequences? What are we supposed to do?! Just sit here, while she might die!?"

I'd never seen Naru so furious. Judging by the look on Lin's face, no one else had either. Naru wasn't looking at either of us, instead he was staring so hard out the window that I thought the glass might break. His hands were clasped behind his back, the knuckles a vibrant white.

"Oliver, Takigawa is right. We've got to trust Mai in this situation, just like she's trusted in you before." Lin sounded hesitant, like he was speaking to a man on a ledge, or a man with a gun.

"Yeah, Na—I mean, Oliver. Mai's strong. I wish you could see the way she stares down the thing with the eyes, when the wind starts blowing—"

Naru turned, his eyes hard, cold, and black. "I wish I could see her too." Before I could respond, the hotel room door was slamming shut behind him, leaving Lin and I in stunned silence.

I turned in my chair to face Lin. "Has he ever…?"

I didn't need to finish my sentence. "No, never." He sighed and began massaging the bridge of his nose. "Even when Gene was alive, when Naru had a slightly wider spectrum of emotion, he'd never get mad. Well, no, that's wrong. He's always gotten mad, but instead of letting it out, he'd just shut down. I'm not sure if this is an improvement or not, to be honest." He looked back up at me. "Do you truly think Mai has a plan? Does she have any idea what she's doing?"

I scratched the back of my head. "I don't know, Lin. I really fucking hope she has a plan though."

"Me too, Houshou. Me too."

Lin and I sat in silence for a minute or two, lost in our own thoughts. Finally I stood up, my stomach rumbling loudly. "I'm gonna head down to find some food, you want to come?"

Lin shook his head. "I'd better wait here for Oliver to get back. Thank you, though." He gave me a small smile.

"No problem. Call me if you need anything."

One quick nod was all I got before Lin plunged back into his notebook.

The hotel's restaurant was pretty dead when I walked in. There were a few people scattered around eating breakfast, some alone, some with family, but they all were quiet and somber. I wondered who they knew in the hospital, what they were all dealing with. I felt sort of fortunate that I was able to see and talk to Mai; who knew how many of these people begged for that kind of privilege?

The tired hostess told me to sit wherever I wanted, so I picked a booth by the window and slumped down in the seat. A waitress came by, took my order for coffee and eggs, and left again. Leaning my head back, I let my eyes fall shut. It felt nice to close my eyes without the weight of dread and fear and responsibility pressing down on me. As I took a deep breath, the pool of darkness behind my eyelids shifted, and suddenly I found myself seeing Mai again. She was sitting by a pond, or perhaps a lake, watching a pair of swans drift by. There was a picnic laid out next to her, with plates and utensils all set out for 2, though I couldn't see anyone else around. _Is she waiting for me?_

"Mai!" I called out. Mai's head jerked up, startled. She looked to her right and left, looked directly at me, but didn't seem to see me. Her eyes looked troubled as she turned back towards the water and pulled her knees up towards her chest.

_She can't see me…_

"Working hard, I see?" a voice said, jerking me out of my half-conscious state.

I blinked rapidly and sat up, shaking my head lightly to try and get my brain working again. I looked to my right and saw a familiar, pointed face surrounded by dark auburn hair.

Ayako smiled, only half-condescendingly. "Hey there. Sleeping on the job, I see."

"What are you doing all the way over here?" I asked, too bewildered to remember my manners. Not that you really needed manners with Ayako; polite or not, she was still likely to get offended.

"Oh, gee, I come all the way to the frigid wastes of Chicago and I don't even get a hello? It's nice to see you too, jerk."

She sat down across from me in a huff, and began digging in her purse for her lipstick. It was only then that I noticed John and Masako, who had been standing behind Ayako.

"Uh, sorry Ayako, I just didn't expect to see any of you here. Hey guys!"

John held up a hand and smiled. Masako bowed, ever the traditionalist. She was wearing civilian clothes for once, a sight that was still pretty alien to me. She had her hair pulled back, and a thick, grey parka on.

"We hoped we could be of some service," John said, sliding into the booth next to me. "After your text, we weren't sure what to think. Then Naru called and told us he might need our help."

At the mention of Naru, Masako sank further down in her seat next to Ayako, trying (and failing) to hide her blushing face. Ayako's lips tightened into a thick line.

"Well, um, he called some of us…" John said awkwardly, avoiding Ayako's icy glare.

"Hey, I can help too!" Ayako said, before folding her arms over her chest and muttering quietly to herself.

I took a sip of coffee. "I mean, I'm glad you guys are all here, but I'm not sure how any of you can help, really. We don't know what we're doing, or what we're even up against." I sighed, and began filling them in on everything that had happened since I'd spoken to them all last. By the time I was done, John looked concerned, Masako looked puzzled, and Ayako looked bored. Typical.

"Well, it's obviously a malevolent spirit. Mai's apartment is probably haunted." She yawned and leaned one elbow on the table. "Looks like you guys are all pretty useless without me. I'll just pop over, perform an exorcism, and we'll all be on our way back home."

Masako shook her head gently, her eyes unfocused as she contemplated the issue. "It's not an evil spirit, at least not in the traditional sense…spirits make things happen, they don't cause comas like this. And the spirit usually would have attached itself to everyone in the house, so Mai's roommates would be affected as well, but that isn't the case."

John nodded. "I'm with Masako, here. It doesn't sound like any demon I've ever heard of. I've heard of possessions causing paralysis, but never a full coma, and never for this long. Usually a demon or some other angry spirit would want to take control of the victim's body, they wouldn't want to put their victim to sleep. Still, maybe we can try some prayers and things, see what happens."

Ayako scowled. "You guys just don't want to admit I'm right. If it's not a demon or an angry spirit, what is it?" She folded her arms and raised one eyebrow, challenging us to come up with a better idea.

"I wish I knew, Ayako. I really do." I checked my watch. "Visiting hours start in about an hour, so if you're all hungry we should order some food and then head over there when we're done. I think we'll see Naru over there, and we can see what he thinks about Ayako's demon theory." The others agreed, and we quickly ordered some breakfast. We ate our meals mostly in silence, each of us trying to figure out who or what was attacking our friend.

* * *

 

As we walked towards the nursing station on Mai's floor, I nervously straightened my jacket and stood a little taller, trying to look like a normal, non-threatening visitor. I had to vouch for all my friends the way Amanda had vouched for me, and I had a feeling that the nurses would be far more critical of me than they had been of Amanda.

Apparently, I didn't need to worry. As one of the nurses approached us, I began talking: "Hi, I'm Houshou Takigawa, I'm here to see Mai—"

"Oh my gosh," the nurse said, cutting me off. "Is that…it is!" She turned to one of her fellow nurses. "Jackie, that's Masako Hara! The medium who's on TV!" She turned back to Masako. "I'd recognize you anywhere, Miss Hara. Are you here on business? Are you filming a new episode?"

Masako bowed her head. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am. Unfortunately, I have a friend on this floor, Miss Taniyama, and I'm here to visit with her." I could hear the shift in Masako's voice as she morphed into her TV personality self.

The nurse, Denise, according to her nametag, bowed a little clumsily back to Masako, as I'm sure she'd seen others do on TV. "I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. We've been taking care of Mai for a while now. She's in room 1302. Is there…can I do anything for you? Get you anything?" She sounded disappointed to hear that Masako wasn't filming anything, but she seemed eager to help us nonetheless. I sighed in relief. Well, at least one thing has gone smoothly today.

Masako smiled softly. "You're very kind. Could you show us the way to Mai's room?"

"Of course!" Denise said, before taking the lead and heading down the hallway with a bounce in her step. I knew the way well enough, but I saw what Masako was doing. If Denise thought she was helping, she'd be more inclined to give us information if we needed, and, if we did need her help with anything, she'd be more willing to give that too.

As we walked into the room, I could feel the others' shock and dismay as they saw Mai for the first time. The silence in the room was deafening, but Denise chattered on. "Mai's been doing alright today, though she had a little heart rate spike early this morning. That seems to happen a lot with her, though the doctors aren't sure why. Nothing serious, they say, so I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Ayako, John, and Masako all stared at Mai, their faces pale. John was the first to break the trance, and he quickly moved to Mai's bedside, his lips moving in what I can only assume was a prayer. Ayako stood frozen in place, one hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide.

Masako turned to Denise. "Thank you so much for your help, ma'am. Would you mind giving us a moment alone?"

Denise nodded vigorously. "Of course, of course. I'll just be down the hall if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!"

Masako bowed slightly. "You are too kind, thank you." Denise smiled and left us, and the room plunged back into silence, the beeps of Mai's machines amplified by our own fear.

"I…I had no idea how bad…"Ayako muttered, her voice hoarse. "How long…?"

"Two months," I said, moving around Ayako so I could stand next to Mai, across from John. "But her friends said she was sick even before that."

"Why didn't she call us?!" Ayako burst out. "We could have helped, could have done something to…to prevent this!"

"She didn't want to need us," Masako said quietly, leaning back against the wall next to the closet door that was across from the end of Mai's bed. "She didn't want to be our responsibility anymore."

Ayako glared at Masako. "That's stupid." Masako just shrugged.

"I see you all finally made it." Naru strode into the room, all cool and confident as usual, except for the tightness around his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.

"Good to see you, Mate," John said, though his face stayed solemn.

"Slept in this morning, Naru? You're late," Ayako said, turning gratefully away from Mai's pale body. Naru didn't respond.

"Good morning, Oliver." Masako's voice was soft as she bowed her head, her eyes avoiding Naru's. Naru didn't respond to that either.

"Lin should be along shortly.. Unfortunately, Yasu's on a case right now, so he'll be helping us from Japan for a few days if we need him, and once he's done he'll fly out to meet us."

"I'm surprised you remember our names, not to mention our phone numbers, though clearly your memory is selective there as well. It's been, what, 3 years since we last heard from you?" Ayako's tone was flippant, but I could tell she was trying to hide her anger.

Naru turned to her with cold eyes. "I've been busy."

"Oh, right. Busy with what? You've been ignoring us, don't deny it. I'm surprised you're even here right now, considering—"

"Enough." Naru said, his jaw clenched tightly. "We don't have time for this."

"Do you have a plan, Naru?" John asked, his voice hopeful.

"Our first order of business is to gather information. And, should that fail to turn up an answer, we've got to experiment. I've asked the hospital administrators to allow us to stay past visitor's hours tonight, and they've accepted that request."

Ayako snorted. "They've accepted your money, you mean."

Naru continued, ignoring Ayako once more. "I hope you're able to sleep in a chair, Monk."

"Give me some whiskey and I can sleep anywhere," I said, flashing a lazy, tired smile. No one laughed, though I hadn't really expected them to. "Why, what do you plan to do?"

"We're going to try an exorcism, and you're going to be in Mai's head to tell us what happens."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that second chapter I promised! We'll see if Chapter 9 gets posted later... no guarantees.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

"What." I stared at Naru, eyes wide.

"If it's some kind of demon, or another type of spirit, this will flush it out, or at least give us some more information about what it is. We can't wait for Mai to figure this out on her own." He used the word "we," but I knew he really meant "I."

"But…but what if this hurts her, or messes up her plan? You really want to take that kind of risk?" I argued. My gut was telling me that this was a supremely bad idea, but I knew Naru wasn't going to just trust my gut. He'd always trusted Mai's instincts, but seeing as how I obviously wasn't Mai, I doubted he'd listen to mine.

"That's why you'll be there, Takigawa." Naru spoke patiently, as if he were explaining this to a child. "If something goes wrong, you'll be able to let us know. We'll start at 9 PM." I could hear the challenge in his voice. _Unless you're not up to it,_ he was saying, _unless you're scared._ I ground my teeth together, but said nothing. _You have to trust him, Takigawa. He may be a stubborn bastard, but he usually knows what he's doing._ The worried knot in my belly never loosened, however, and I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that seemed to permeate the entire room.

For a few minutes, no one spoke. There wasn't really anything to say. It had always been Mai who handled the small talk, who got us all to communicate. Without her, we all just stared at our feet, rocking back on our heels, each of us waiting for someone else to be brave enough to break the silence.

I finally couldn't stand it anymore. "What do we do until 9, Naru?" With all six of us in the room at once, it was starting to get claustrophobic. I glanced down at Mai, wondering briefly if she could feel all of us in the room with her, or if she was somewhere else entirely. For a brief second, I thought I smelled rotting meat. The muscles in my throat tightened, and I quickly began breathing through my mouth, praying that I was imagining things.

Lin appeared in the doorway, silent as a ghost. "Ayako, John and I will be at the library to see if we can find any old ghost stories or unexplained occurrences in this area that might help us understand Mai's case." No hello, no anything. _Well, he's friendly as ever today.  
_  
Naru nodded, his face serene and all-knowing. I bit the side of my tongue, all the muscles in my mouth tense and furious. _When were you going to tell_ _me_ _this plan, Naru? Who said you get to make all of these decisions?_  
  
"Ugh, research?" Ayako groaned. "What are the rest of you doing?"

"Miss Hara, Takigawa and myself will be interviewing Mai's roommates, and investigating her apartment," Naru replied, cool as ever. "Monk, I'll need you to call and arrange an appointment. Please tell the girls that it won't take long."

"Um, sorry to throw a wrench in your plans here, Naru, but Mai's roommates are pretty anti-Houshou at the moment. And one of them is downright hostile, especially about spiritual stuff."

Naru didn't roll his eyes, but the narrow-eyed look he gave me said all it needed to. I ran a hand through my mess of hair and sighed. "I just want you guys to be prepared for some resistance, that's all. Monica flipped out when I tried to tell them how I knew about Mai's condition; I guess Mai didn't talk much about the spiritual part of SPR, at least not with Monica. Amber is okay, but Amanda…I get the feeling that she follows wherever Monica goes."

Masako spoke up again. "Do not worry, Takigawa-san. I've had plenty of experience with skeptics and non-believers."

I gave her a half-hearted half-smile. "I hope your experience helps us out here, Masako. We could really use some more information about the days leading up to Mai's coma. Mai can't seem to remember any of it, although she's well aware of her condition."

Masako looked troubled by this, her eyes watching Mai intently beneath furrowed eyebrows. She said nothing.

"Well?" Naru said, his voice impatient. "Are you going to set up a meeting or what?" He stared at me, his eyes still cold and hard.

"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I guess I'll go call Amber." My thoughts felt hazy, like I hadn't slept in weeks. The dreams were starting to take a toll on me. I only hoped that I would have the mental stamina to handle whatever challenges got thrown at me that night.

* * *

I stepped out into the hallway and dialed Amber's number.

"Hey Houshou, I can't really talk—"

"I know you're busy, I'm really sorry, but I need to set up a meeting with you, Amanda and Monica today. I know it's pretty last minute, but maybe we can meet up sometime this afternoon? At their apartment?"

"Uh, I'll see. We're done with class at 2, so maybe at 2:30? I have to see, though…"

"2:30 would be great. Naru's here, and he wants to investigate Mai's apartment. Maybe Monica will be more inclined to actually help him out, rather than if it was just me."

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Amber."

"I've got to go to class now, but I'll call or text you after to let you know what the deal is."

"Alright, talk to you later."

*Click*

As I shoved my phone in my pocket, I suddenly noticed how heavy my body felt. I had been pushing my exhaustion to the back of my mind, focusing on the problem at hand so hard that sometimes I even managed to forget how tired I was. I hoped desperately that we'd find something at Mai's apartment, some clue that would help us find the answer to this problem. I wasn't sure how long I could continue living like this.

_Everything will change when Mai wakes up…do you really want that?  
_  
I fought the urge to slap myself, and instead pressed the heel of my hand against one eye, hoping that if I pressed hard enough that thought might disappear. _Of course I want that. Why wouldn't I want that?_  
  
"Sir…sir are you okay?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see a stout, black woman staring at me, concerned.

My cheeks flushed. "Uh, yeah, just a headache. Sorry for blocking the hallway."

She nodded, her concern switching to understanding and pity. "Stress can do that. You should go and get some rest, you'd be surprised what a good, long nap can do."

I almost laughed. "Thanks, ma'am. I'll be sure to get some sleep soon."

* * *

2:00 PM found us back in Naru's hotel room, since there wasn't much else to do in the hospital room. The others had left a long time ago, off to do research to find out whatever they could that might help us. I had wanted to stay at the hospital, to spend time with Mai in any way that I could, but Naru said we should stay together, so we could leave right away as soon as Amber called. _He's not the boss of you…_ a small, nagging voice said, but I ignored it.

Finally, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, 2:30 is good with us," Amber said. I thought I heard Monica groan in the background, but it could have been static.

"2:30 it is. Thank you so much! How'd you manage to swing this one?"

Amber cleared her throat. "Well, you said Naru was coming right? And he's going to prove that nothing supernatural has taken place?"

I laughed. "Hey, whatever you have to say to get us in. We're also bringing Masako Hara with us…I hope that isn't a problem." I glanced at Masako, who was sitting in a chair by the window, but she seemed lost in thought.

"Um, I mean that should be fine, as long as she's ready for a heavy dose of violent skepticism…hold on." Amber muffled the phone with her hand, but I could clearly hear Monica complaining about fake mediums and crazy people on the other end. "Yeah, that's okay. Monica is…less than thrilled, but it's fine."

"I'm sure Masako can handle it," I said, chuckling. It felt good to laugh with someone, though my thoughts quickly turned gloomy again.

"I'll text you the address, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks again, Amber."

We said goodbye and hung up. A second later my phone buzzed, and the address appeared on the screen.

"Alright," I said to Naru and Masako, "We're in, though Monica and Amanda think that we're going to be acting as myth-busters, there to prove that nothing spiritual is going on."

Naru was already shrugging into his jacket by the time I finished talking. "Let's hope we do prove that, it would make our jobs much easier. Ready, Miss Hara?"

Masako looked up, startled. When she saw it was Naru speaking, she quickly looked back down again. She nodded her head and stood up, zipping up her jacket.

"You know how to get there, Monk?" Naru asked.

_…Shit._ I looked more closely at the address, finally remembering that I wasn't back home, and therefore had absolutely zero knowledge of how to get around.

Naru obviously saw my expression of confusion, and he rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for this. We'll just take a cab." He picked up two large black cases that had been packed up with various pieces of equipment, and held one out for me to carry.

"I-I can probably figure it out! There must be a train. Or a bus. Or…something…" I stammered. I felt like an idiot for not thinking of this sooner.

One look from Naru silenced me. "We'll take a cab," he said, and I knew there was no arguing. Sometimes, it was easier to follow along rather than try to lead.

* * *

One nearly-fatal cab ride later, the three of us were outside the apartment. It was a stout, blond-brick building just a few blocks from Lake Michigan, on the north side of the city. I pressed the button labelled "15-3," as Amber had instructed, and was promptly greeted by a light click as the door unlocked, followed by a nightmarish buzzing sound that I could have sworn was a swarm of hornets. Apparently that's just the sound that some apartment doors make to let you know it's safe to come in.

When we got to the top of the 3rd flight of stairs, exhausted and out of breath, we found that the door was already open. I paused. _Should I go in first, since they know me? Or should Naru go first since they don't hate him yet?_ Before I could make my decision, Naru brushed past me with an air of "I got this." Masako followed quietly behind him like a shadow, leaving me to bring up the rear. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the potential hostility, and plunged through the doorway.

The girls were waiting on a couch in the living room, directly ahead of the front door. Amanda looked indifferent as she leaned against the arm of the couch. She smiled politely when she saw me, though it wasn't quite the warm smile I'd seen from her before. Monica's eyes narrowed as soon as I walked in, and she scooted to the edge of her seat just so she could sit up straighter and fold her arms more condescendingly. Amber, sitting at the far end of the couch, merely looked uncomfortable. She gave me a brief, anxious smile before going back to staring at her hands in her lap. I immediately felt like an asshole for putting her in such a strange position with her friends, though I knew it was the only way we could gather information.

"Hi ladies, I'm Oliver Davis, but you've probably heard Mai refer to me as Naru, or Naru the Narcissist as she was so fond of saying." He spoke with a business-like sense of self-assurance that seemed to put Mai's friends at ease. Even Monica relaxed, as she allowed herself to lead back into the couch a little bit. Or maybe it was just the fact that he was around their age, attractive, and spoke with a slight British accent. I was suddenly very aware that I was the oldest person in the room by at least 8 years. I tried not to dwell too hard on that fact.

"This is Miss Masako Hara, a leading expert in psychic phenomenon." Masako gave a slight bow as Naru spoke, her hands folded politely in front of her as if she were wearing a kimono. "And of course you've met Takigawa."

Monica snorted. "Yeah, we've met. I'm Monica, and this is Amanda and Amber." Monica stood up to shake Naru's hand. "I hear you're going to try to get to the bottom of this, Oliver." Monica shot me a narrow-eyed glare. "The actual cause of this, without talking about all that spirit world bullshit."

Naru gave her a tight, thin smile. "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, I've got 32 chapters up on FF.net, and only 9 up on AO3...I'm a mess. Anyway, be on the lookout for more chapters soon! I'd really like to get caught up on here, so I'm posting new chapters to both FF and AO3 at the same time...we'll see. Anyway, let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Naru set the heavy black case down next to him. "I'd like to start by interviewing each of you myself. While that's happening, Miss Hara and Takigawa will be looking for clues in Mai's room."

"What kind of clues?" Monica asked, already back to being suspicious.

Naru shrugged. "Anything that might help us figure out how to help Mai."

Amber cleared her throat. "Um, I can show you guys Mai's room, if you want…"

I gave her a brief smile. Next to me, Masako bowed her head and said, "That would be most kind."

Naru took out his notebook. "Thank you. Amanda, you can go too, as I'd like to do this individually, beginning with Monica."

Monica sat forward on the couch, eager and smiling. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Amber and Amanda stood up. "It's just down this hallway," Amanda said, not looking at either of us.

I took a deep breath.  _Well, this is going to be fun._

"This is it," Amber said, stopping next to the second door on the left. The hallway was narrow, and we were all arranged in a single-file line. Amber hesitated at the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob for a split second before finally opening the door.

Mai's room was bright and friendly, exactly how I would have pictured it. One wall was nearly covered by a mosaic of pictures that showed Mai with all her friends. I saw several of the SPR crew, pictures we'd taken together on various cases, during holidays, or when we were just sitting around at the office. The muscles in my throat tightened and I had to look away. The rest of the room was an organized chaos of books, papers, and clothes. Everything was covered with a light sheet of dust. Mai's bed was still unmade, and I found myself wondering what she looked like as she slept.

_Don't go down that road, Monk. You've got to stay focused here._  
  
I sighed and scratched absentmindedly at one eyebrow. "Well, Masako, where do you want to start?"

Masako pushed gently past me, Amber, and Amanda, and delicately lowered herself onto Mai's bed. "I'll start here," she said, before closing her eyes and taking a few deep, measured breaths.

"So…what exactly are you guys supposed to be doing in here?" Amanda asked, eyeing Masako suspiciously.

I set my bag down on the floor, and began pulling out various tools and pieces of equipment. "We're investigating." I picked up a temperature sensor and walked over to Mai's nightstand.

"Using machines and…meditating?" Amanda sounded skeptical. I didn't blame her, really. In Japan, spirits and ghosts weren't that out of the ordinary. In America, those things were largely relegated to the realm of absurdity.

"She's a psychic," Amber blurted out from the corner where she was standing. I glanced over at her, surprised.

Amber immediately looked down at her feet, and I almost thought I could see a flush creeping into her dark skin. "She's…she's got a TV show," she muttered.

Amanda's eyebrows knit together, confusion evident on her face. "But I thought…no ghosts and stuff."

Amber folded her arms. "Well, I lied. You know how Monica is. I just…we need to try everything. What if they can find a way to help Mai? What if they can make her better?"

Amanda bit her lip, her eyes troubled, confused. "But…she's sick. She's in a coma. How would a ghost do that?"

Masako opened her eyes, her face serene and calmly composed. "Spirits are not always ghosts. In Japan, many believe that spirits inhabit everything. Mai's illness could very well be caused by something natural, a health condition of some kind, but it may also be caused by a malevolent spirit. Such spirits are not always the remnants of a dead person's troubled soul, and could be the result of any number of things. Sometimes, even a living person can be the cause of a malevolent energy." Masako closed her eyes again. "I'm meditating to allow my mind to focus. In a city so big, it's difficult to focus on a single building, and even harder to focus on a single room. With so many people, it's easy for me to pick up a sort of spiritual white noise." She resumed her deep breathing.

Amanda still seemed concerned, though at least she wasn't angry, as I assume Monica would have been. "Um, alright. I guess I'll leave you to that, then. I'll go check on Monica." She abruptly turned on her heel and left the room, closing the door behind her.

With her eyes still closed, Masako said, "There's something strange about that girl, but I can't place it."

"It's probably because her friend's in a coma and there are strangers in her apartment," I said.

Masako merely shrugged.

Amber spoke up. "Mai always said that Amanda had some kind of spiritual power, but she never told me what it was."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," I said. "You sensing anything, Masako?"

She opened her eyes and slowly looked around the room, her eyes far away. "Traces…memories…there was something here once, but whether it's Mai's demon is less certain…it's gone now, either way. All I see is a sort of after-image."

I let out the breath that I didn't know I had been holding. "I…I'm not sure if I should feel disappointed or relieved."

"It seems we're being cursed with ambiguity," Naru said from the doorway behind me, making me jump.

"Jeez, when did you get there Naru?" I said, pressing one hand to my chest.  _You're bound to have a heart attack soon, old man,_  a nasty voice said in my head.

"Just in time to hear Miss Hara's report." Naru leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets. "I was hoping we'd find concrete evidence of some kind of spirit; our jobs would have been much easier."

Monica appeared next to Naru in the doorway, with Amanda's face just behind her shoulder. "So I was right. There's no spirits, or ghosts, or whatever you call it, in our apartment. Mai's condition is because of science, not spirits." She made eye contact with me and smirked.

Masako stood up. "As I told your friend, not all spirits are ghosts, and some spirits are hard to detect. I sense no spirit here that would have caused Mai's condition." Monica's smirk grew wider. "However," Masako continued, "I can see your spirit, Monica. Is he your uncle, or a grandfather perhaps?"

Monica's mouth dropped open, and her face went milk-pale. "I don't…"

Masako shook her head. "It doesn't matter. He is too weak to cause you any harm; don't listen to his threats." Naru stepped inside the room and allowed Masako room to stand next to Monica. Though Masako was nearly a full head shorter, Monica seemed to shrink away from her. Masako reached up and placed a hand on Monica's shoulder. "You needn't be afraid. You are not crazy for seeing him, nor are you cursed. You have some sensitivity to spirits, but that sensitivity is probably restricted to souls you are familiar with, or strong spirits that nearly anyone can see." Masako smiled warmly, but Monica just looked at her with wide, frightened (and yet still skeptical) eyes.

Masako shifted her gaze to something just behind Monica, and for a moment I thought I saw a glimmer there as well. "He says you have something of his, something you…stole? A knife?"

Monica took a shaky step backwards, her shoulder bumping into the doorframe. "No…no he's not really there…my, my mom said it was all in my head." I felt a sudden pity for the girl.  _Mai knew this. She must have._  
  
Masako smiled sadly, her eyebrows pulling towards each other. "I assure you, he is real. Perhaps you can show me this knife, and I can help this spirit move on."

"I don't…what if he hurts someone? He used to threaten to kill my brother and I…" I thought I saw tears in Monica's eyes, but in the shadowed hallway it was hard to tell. Masako shook her head gently. "I've faced far worse." She turned back to us. "I won't be long." She then guided Monica down the hallway, her hand gently touching the small of Monica's back.

I let out a low whistle. "No wonder they gave her a TV show."

Naru snorted. "You're just figuring this out now?"

Amber chimed in quietly, "Mai knew…she knew Monica was being followed by a spirit, she said she dreamed of him sometimes, but she didn't know who the spirit was or why he was there. She…she tried to talk to Monica about purifying it, but Monica refused to admit any of that was real."

"You knew?" I asked, surprised. "You never said anything."

"It wasn't my secret to tell." She shrugged. "So now what?"

Naru cut me off before I could answer. "Now I'd like to try my psychometry to see if I can find out anything about Mai's time before the coma."

"Psychometry…that's where you touch items and can see things?"

"Sort of." Naru scanned the room, looking for…something.

Amber tilted her head to the side. "Do you…use it often?"

Naru shook his head, and his expression grew dark. "No."

I shot a look at Amber and shook my head side to side. She bit her lip and nodded, her face suddenly concerned. I was a little surprised that Mai hadn't mentioned something about Naru's past psychometry use, but I guess it made sense.  _If she talked about that, she'd have to talk about Gene._  The thought made me frown.

"Takigawa, if you'd be so kind as to interview Amanda. I doubt she'll be able to give us any new information, but it's worth a try." Naru continued searching Mai's room as he spoke.

"Sure, I…" I glanced towards the door. "Wait…" I said, an odd feeling taking hold of me. "Where'd Amanda go? She was right here, wasn't she?" I poked my head out into the hallway, looking right and left.

When I looked back at Amber, she just shrugged. "I don't know. She probably left to go to the store or something. She does that sometimes. She always gets kind of nervous about strangers."

That was news to me. "Really? She was so friendly when I first met her…"

Amber shrugged again, unconcerned. "It's not all the time. That's just Amanda, she's been the same for as long as I've known her. She'll be back. I think she's just intimidated."

"Yeah, maybe," I said, though something still felt off.

"Do you want me to call her?" Amber asked, digging her phone out of her pocket.

"I don't think that will be necessary; between what you told Takigawa and what I heard from Monica, I think we have a clear enough picture of what happened to Mai prior before her coma. If we have any questions we'll be sure to contact her," Naru said. Amber shrugged and put her phone back in her pocket.

I made a mental note to ask Mai about Amanda later on, hopefully she'd know more.  _You won't have time to ask her much of anything…there's going to be an experiment, tonight, remember?_  Suddenly my stomach felt queasy.

"Houshou," Naru said, snapping me back to reality. "Finish setting up the temperature sensors and the cameras. I doubt they'll give us any useful data, but it can't hurt to be thorough."

"Yes, sir," I said, giving a mock salute. Amber snorted, though Naru didn't pay me any mind.

The cameras didn't take long to set up. They were tiny things, almost unnoticeable unless you knew what to look for. It was amazing how far technology had come since I'd joined up with SPR. The thought of carrying any number of those old, bulky cameras that we used to use up the stairs to the girls' apartment made me shudder.

As I finished, I turned my attention back to Naru, who was still searching for something. "What are you looking for?" I asked. He continued to rifle through Mai's belongings, his fingers brushing through her jewelry on top of the dresser before he turned his attention to the contents of the drawers.

"Anything that might be a clue," he said. His eyes were barely focused as he rummaged through a drawer full of sweaters.

"Are you looking for something specific? Maybe I could, um, help," Amber said. She was still clearly intimidated by Naru, but then most people were pretty intimidated by him.

To my surprise, Naru nodded. "I'm looking for something that Mai might have been wearing or holding when she got sick or when she had her seizure. I'm getting brief, foggy flashes from all of these things, but I need something clearer, something where the memory is more concentrated." Naru pulled open another drawer, this one seemingly filled with underwear. I quickly shifted my gaze away, and tried to ignore the anger that was bubbling in my stomach.  _Mai would find it funny. Don't be so uptight, Takigawa. What if Naru ends up finding something useful?_  He didn't even bother looking, however, and I felt my muscles instantly relax as soon as that drawer closed a second later. It felt wrong to look at Mai's personal things without her permission, even if it was for a good cause.

"Um…maybe her house key?" Amber said, sounding hesitant.

Naru froze, hands hovering over the next drawer he had been about to open. He turned to Amber, his eyes dark and intense. "You know where it is?"

Amber nodded. "I was afraid they might lose it at the hospital, and I know how much it means to Mai, so I've been carrying it with me until…until she wakes up." Amber reached behind her neck, her fingers searching underneath her long, braided hair. She pulled a thin, silver chain up and over her head, a small house key dangling at the end of it. She held it out for Naru. "This will help you figure out what happened to Mai?"

Naru held his hand just under the key, and Amber let it drop into his palm. "Maybe," he said, a slight frown on his face.

Naru closed his fingers around the key as his eyes fluttered shut. I held my breath, my heart pounding a hard, heavy beat. Naru took a quick, deep breath in, his nostrils flaring.  _Please see something. Find something. Tell us how we can help Mai, what we're up against…_  I prayed silently, hoping that someone, anyone, would answer.

Naru's eyes opened again, and he let out a long breath.

"Did you…did you see anything?" I asked hesitantly.

He blinked and looked at me as if he'd forgotten I was there. Then he sighed. "I did, but it was muddy and hard to follow. Whatever this is, it took a while to affect Mai. There was no single big event that caused this, so it was hard for me to see anything specific. I saw Mai going to class, studying with her friends, watching TV…" His voice was almost wistful. He looked down at the key in the palm of his hand. "Thanks, Amber. I think you should keep this safe. I'm sure Mai will want it back." He handed the key back to Amber before turning back to me. "Let's see if Miss Hara is finished. We should probably meet back up with Lin and the others soon."

I blinked. "That's it? You're not going to look at any of the other objects? There has to be something here that will tell us what happened."

"Monk," Naru said, his voice soft and a little sad. "We're done here."

I looked down and scratched the back of my neck. "Alright."

Naru went into Monica's room to check on Masako, while Amber and I headed back to the living room to get all our stuff together.

"So…do you guys have any idea what happened to Mai? Any clues?"

I blew out a jet of air, my cheeks puffing out. "Honestly? No. Not really, or at least not yet. We'll see if the others found anything promising, and the video cameras and temperature sensors that we set up in Mai's room will let us know if anything supernatural happens."

Amber looked uncomfortable. "Do you think our apartment is haunted? I thought Masako said…" She said the word "haunted" as a whisper, as if saying it out loud would automatically make it true.

I smiled warmly. "Anything is possible, but in my professional opinion? No, no I don't. If there was a ghost, Masako would have found it the way she found Monica's follower. But we can't be too careful." I clapped a hand on Amber's shoulder. "There's really nothing to worry about here. Just try not to go in Mai's room, so the stuff we set up can get accurate readings."

Amber nodded solemnly, before giving me a shy smile. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, Houshou," she said.

"Of course. And I'll make sure to let you guys know if we find anything out."

I heard a door shut down the hallway, saw and Naru, Masako and Monica heading our way. Monica looked pretty dazed, but Masako seemed pleased with herself.

"All done?" I asked.

Masako bowed her head in assent. "Though I may not have the power of you or Brown-san, I am perfectly able to deal with many lower-level spirits. This one only needed a firm talking to and someone to show him the way to peace." Masako gave a small smile.

Behind her, Monica coughed. "So…he's just gone? I don't need to worry about ghosts or spirits or whatever?"

"You should have nothing to fear, at least here in this apartment. And perhaps you should avoid taking personal relics from the bedside of the dying," Masako's eyes narrowed slightly, "however horrible the dying person may be."

"We need to get moving," Naru said as he shrugged into his jacket. "Thank you for your help, Ladies. We'll let you know if we need anything more."

Amber and Monica nodded. Amanda was still nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling in my chest.

I raised my hand and waved. "I'll be seeing you guys around, I'm sure."

Amber smiled at me, and it looked like Monica might attempt to do the same, but instead she just looked at the ground. I shrugged.  _You win some, you lose some, I guess_.

Naru, Masako and I were all silent as we walked down the 3 flights of stairs and out into the frigid wind. I pulled my hat down over my ears and shoved my chin down into the thick, high collar of my coat. I couldn't help feeling disappointed in the whole adventure, in myself, and even in Naru and Masako. I knew it wasn't their fault that they didn't find anything with any of their abilities, but I had had so much hope in the whole endeavor that now I mostly just felt deflated.  _I'm sure we'll find out something tonight…_  I thought sourly. Naru's exorcism plan made sense, as we had to try everything, to look at the problem from all angles, but something felt wrong. I had no evidence to back up my feeling of dread, no hard facts that would prove that the plan was a bad idea, so I kept my misgivings to myself.

We were about 2 blocks away from the girls' apartment when Naru suddenly stopped and turned to us. "I didn't want to say this in front of Amber or Monica, but there's something going on with that Amanda girl."

I shrugged. "It sounds like she's just got trouble talking to strangers."

"No," Naru said, speaking so low I almost couldn't hear him. "I saw her. She was with Mai the night this all started. I couldn't see much, and most of the stuff I could see was just brief flashes and blurred figures, but there was one thing I saw very clearly: Amanda's face."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already tried to post this chapter once today...let's hope it works now!
> 
> Also, I literally just found out that I have an inbox on here, because I'm old and back in my day we didn't have inboxes, we just posted our awful fics on Quizilla and had to include disclaimers at the top of every chapter. Dark days... ANYWAY, if you've sent me a message (and several of you have!) I just want you to know that I appreciate it more than I can even say, and thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so sorry I didn't respond, I'm just bad at technology. SO THANK YOU!!!
> 
> Anyway, I'm going to try and post a new chapter every weekday when I can, so hopefully the story can get caught up to where it is on FF.net (it's at chapter 32 over there, and I think there's going to be about 5-10 more chapters...we'll see. I originally thought the fic would be over by chapter 30. HAHAHA no). So keep an eye out!
> 
> Please let me know what you think! And as always, thank you for reading!


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